


Pokémon SpongeBob

by Latias425



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, SpongeBob SquarePants (Cartoon)
Genre: Based on a SpongeBob SquarePants Episode, Gen, Humor, Parody
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2018-12-24 14:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 23,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12014469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latias425/pseuds/Latias425





	1. Help Wanted

Ah, the Alola region...so facinating. So wonderful. Here, we see Melemele Island, teeming with life. Home to one of my favorite Pokémon, Rowlet. Yes, of course he lives in a treehouse, you silly.

The alarm clock inside the treehouse went off, and Rowlet shut it off and climbed up the ladder on the side of the bed.

"Today's the big day, Gary!" Rowlet said to his pet Caterpie. "Look at me, I'm...naked!" He jumped off the diving board and landed in the exercise room. "Gotta be in top physical condition for today." He tried to lift a barbell balanced by two stuffed animals, but almost passed out due to it being to heavy for him. "I'm ready!" Rowlet announced as he flew out of his house. "I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready!" He flew by a rock in a lake that belonged to a Popplio.

"Go, Rowlet!" Popplio cheered, before slipping and falling into the water.

"There it is. The finest eating establishment ever established for eating. The Crusty Crabrawler, the most famous restaurant in all of Alola. With a Help Wanted sign in the window! For years I've been dreaming of this moment! I'm gonna go in there, march straight to the manager, look at him straight in the eye, lay it on the line and...I can't do this!" Rowlet started to run back home when Popplio stopped him. "Uh, Popplio!"

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I was just..."

"No, you're not. You're going to the Crusty Crabrawler and get that job!"

"I can't, don't you see? I'm not good enough!"

"Whose first words were 'may I take your order'?"

"Mine were."

"Who made a spatula out of toothpicks in wood shop?"

"I did."

Popplio thought for a moment. "Who's a...who's uhh, oh! Who's a small round owl with a bowtie?"

"I am!"

"Who's ready?"

"I'm ready!

"Who's ready?"

"I'm ready!"

"Who's ready?"

"I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!" Rowlet ran over to the Crusty Crabrawler where a Litten was cleaning off graffiti from the window.

"Oh no, Rowlet. What could he possibly want?" Litten then saw the help wanted sign on the window, and quickly ran inside. "Mr. Crabrawler! Hurry, Mr. Crabrawler, before it's too late, I gotta tell you-"

"Permission to come aboard, captain!" Rowlet announced. "I've been training my whole life for the day I could join the Crusty Crew, and now I'm ready." Rowlet entered the building, but then tripped on a nail, causing him to bounce against the ceiling and ricochets around the building. Finally, he rolled to a stop in front of Litten and Crabrawler. "So, uh, when do I start?"

"Well lad, it looks like you don't even have your sea legs."

"Mr. Crabrawler, please. I'll prove I'm fry cook material. Ask Litten, he'll vouch for me."

Litten and Crabrawler quickly ran away from Rowlet and Litten took a deep breath. "No." Crabrawler winked and then the two of them went back to Rowlet.

"Well lad, we'll give you a test, and if you pass, you'll be on the Crusty Crew! Go out and fetch me...a hydrodynamic spatula...with um, port-and-starboard attachments, and uh...turbo drive! And don't come back till you get one!"

"Aye, aye, captain! One hydrodynamic spatula, with port-and-starboard attachments, turbo drive, coming right up, sir!"

"Carry on!" Crabrawler called out as Rowlet left. "We'll never see that lubber again."

"You're terrible! A hydro-what?" Litten and Crabrawler started laughing just as Rowlet left the restaurant. As he made his way out of town, a school of fish headed over to the Crusty Crabrawler.

Litten and Crabrawler stopped laughing when Crabrawler smelled something. "Do you smell it? That smell...the kind of smelly smell...the smelly smell that smells...smelly." His eyes went wide. "Wishiwashi."

"What?" Litten asked.

"WISHIWASHI!" Crabrawler yelled as the place became surrounded by a bunch of blue and white fish Pokémon.

"Please, please, quiet!" Litten shouted, and the place went silent. "Is this any way to behave, hmm?"

"Meep!" A random Wishiwashi said.

"Could we show a little decency and form a neat, single file line in front of the register?" There was silence for a second, and then the Wishiwashi started to attack the boat.

Meanwhile, Rowlet entered the shopping district in Hau'oli City looking for the special spatula.

Litten and Crabrawler were being tossed around in the boat by the Wishiwashi. "All hands on deck! Get your anchors out of your pants!"

"One single file line was all I asked!"

"Whoa! Batten down the hatches, Mr. Litten!" Crabrawler shouted as he and Litten were tossed into the air. "Were taking on water, Mr. Litten!" They were tossed into the air again. "I want my mommy, Mr. Litten!"

"Do do do do do do, spatula, spatula, port-and-starboard attachments." Rowlet sang to himself.

"Mon overboard! Climb, Mr. Litten! Climb!" Crabrawler and Litten started to climb that mast, and then the Wishiwashi transformed into their terrifying school form to try to get them down.

"This is the end! Goodbye, Mr. Litten!"

"Oh, Mr. Crabrawler!" The two of them started to cry, but then someone flew into the restaurant with the spatula.

"Permission to come aboard captain! Did someone order a spatula?" Rowlet asked. Litten and Crabrawler stuttered in complete shock. "That's right! One hydrodynamic spatula with port-and-starboard attachment, and let's not forget the turbo drive!" Two spatulas poped out of the sides and smacked Litten and Crabrawler in the face as they spun around. "Would you believe they only had one in stock? To the kitchen! Who's hungry?!"

Rowlet flew into the kitchen as Living in the Sunlight, Loving in the Moonlight played. He started producing all kinds of food to feed all of the hungry Wishiwashi. Eventually, every single one of them was fed and the place was empty.

"That was the finest fast foodsmanship I've ever seen, Mr. Rowlet! Welcome aboard!" Crabrawler gave Rowlet a name tag.

"But, but Mr. Crabrawler..." Litten began.

"Three cheers for Rowlet! Hip hip!"

"Hooray, Mr."

"Hip hip!"

"Hooray."

"Hip hip!"

"Hooray. Mr. Crabrawler!"

"I'll be in my quarters, counting up the booty." Crabrawler pushed a wheelbarrow filled with money into his office when Popplio entered.

"Good morning, Crusty Crew!"

"What would you like to order, Popplio?" Rowlet asked.

"One malasada, please." Rowlet flew into the kitchen and fired several malasadas through the window, sending Popplio flying out of the restaurant.

"Mr. Crabrawler! Mr. Crabrawler! Mr. Crabrawler, come and see your new employee!" Litten yelled frantically.


	2. The Camping Episode

"Ahh, finally the weekend is here." Litten sighed contently. "And this just isn't any old weekend. This is the weekend that Rowlet and Popplio go camping. Wouldn't it be great if they got lost in the woods and never came back? That would be great!" He jumped into his bed. "You've waited a long time for this! A soft bed, warm tea, a good book, and two whole days with no..." Litten imitated Rowlet's laugh, and then went to relaxing, but then he suddenly heard Rowlet's actual laugh. "What the?" He went outside where Rowlet and Popplio were in a tent laughing. "Rowlet! Aren't you two supposed to be camping?"

"We are camping." Rowlet answered.

"Rowlet, it's not camping if you're ten feet from your house."

"Aww, it doesn't matter where you are as long as you're outdoors. While all those soft city folks are safe in their beds reading books, we're out here, pitting ourselves against the formidable force of nature. You wanna join us?"

"No."

"Okay. Have fun inside." As soon as Litten left, Rowlet and Popplio took out their book and started giggling again. Litten poked his head back into the tent glaring at them.

"What do you mean have fun inside?"

"Just...have fun inside! See you tomorrow."

"Oh. Bye." Litten left the tent, but then quickly went back in and gasped. "You little sneak! I see what you're doing?"

"What?"

"Don't think I can't see what you're doing!"

"What?"

"You're saying I can't take it!"

"But all I..."

"Aah. You're saying I'm soft! You think your little 'have fun inside' challenge is gonna make me come camping with you, but that is never gonna happen! There's no way I'm gonna sit out here all night with you two losers! So, get used to it!" Litten then left the tent.

"Okay. Have fun inside!"

"THAT'S IT! I'M IN! I'll show you camping!" Litten shouted as he ran into his house.

"Litten's gonna come camping with us!" Rowlet whispered to Popplio, and they giggled as they got out of their tent.

Litten came out of his house with a large backpack. "Now you'll see how a real..." He fell face-forward onto the ground. "...outdoorsmon does it!" Litten climbed out from underneath the backpack and pulled something out. "Here we are, my remote-controlled, self-assembling tent. Watch and learn." Rowlet took out a pair of binoculars and Popplio took out a notepad. Litten pressed the button on the remote, but the power fizzled out and the tent fell out into a pile on the ground.

"That was great Litten, but how do you get inside?" Rowlet asked.

"Yeah, it's all crushy-looking."

"It isn't put up yet, you idiots!" Litten picked up the tent and started to fiddle with it, only for it to rip.

"Customization!" Rowlet exclaimed as he and continued to take notes.

"Genius!"

Litten started to beat the tent with a stick. "He's tenderizing the ground!"

"Of course!"

Litten continued to struggle with the tent. "Write that down, write that down!" Popplio continued to take notes, but he was really playing a game of tic-tac-toe.

Litten gave the pile a huge kick, and it automatically became a perfect tent. "Huh? Voila!" The tent then collapsed back into a pile. "But what could compare to just living out under the stars?" Litten took out a blanket and placed it on the ground as Rowlet and Popplio clapped vigorously. "Well, I've worked up an appetite as big as all outdoors. Time for a little grub. I suppose you two are gonna stew up some twigs and rocks, right?"

Rowlet laughed. "Nope, we've got something even better! Marshmallows." He pulled out a bag of marshmallows and popped one into his mouth. "Just like the astronauts eat."

Popplio imitated a static noise. "Popplio to Rowlet. Popplio to Rowlet. Do you read me? Over."

"Rowlet to Popplio. I read you. Over."

"Popplio to Rowlet. I like going...over."

"Rowlet to Popplio. Me too." Rowlet and Popplio continued to make static noises, much to Litten's annoyance. "Rowlet to Popplio. Help yourself. Over."

"Yummy!" Popplio stuffed the marshmallow into his mouth. "Popplio to Rowlet. The deliciousness has landed!"

"Well, you two astronauts can eat marshmallows, but I'm gonna have a can of fresh spam, just as soon as I get the opener."

"But Litten, didn't your trainer get you de-clawed last week? Shouldn't you have packed a can opener?" Rowlet asked.

"Why would I bother? We're ten feet from my house."

"But this is the wilderness! It just doesn't seem to fit the camping spirit."

"Pretty weenie!"

"Alright, alright, gimme a marshmallow." Litten started to lightly toast his marshmallow. Popplio was roasting his marshmallow right across, but then it caught on fire and quickly blew it onto Litten's face. He tried another one and it caught on fire again. This time Litten ducked as Popplio blew the marshmallow, but it quickly went and hit him in the back of his head. "Okay. Besides spitting molten foodstuffs at me, what else do you do for fun?"

"Well, after a long day of camping, it's nice to unwind with a nice, relaxing campfire song. I call this one the Campfire Song Song." Rowlet took out a ukulele and began to sing.

_Rowlet: Let's gather 'round the campfire and sing our campfire song. Our C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song. And if you don't think that we can't sing it faster, then you're wrong. But it'll help if you just sing along..._

_Popplio: Bum! Bum! Bum!_

_Rowlet: C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song! C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song! And if you don't think that we can't sing it faster, then you're wrong! But it'll help if you just sing along... C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song! Popplio!_

_Popplio: SONG! C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E..._

_Rowlet: Litten!_

_Litten: ..._

_Rowlet: Good! It'll help...it'll help if you just sing along! (Smashes ukulele on the ground until Popplio slams a drum on him) OH, YEAH!_

"Ahh, now wasn't that relaxing?" Rowlet asked.

"No! This is relaxing." Litten got out a Pokéflute and started to play it.

"Oh no! I'll save you, Litten!" Rowlet fired a marshmallow at Litten, which went into the flute and into his throat. "Litten, are you alright? That's it, chew, chew, and swallow. There, better?"

"Better?! I was just fine until you lodged that ballistic junk food into my windpipe!"

"But I had to! It's too dangerous to play a Pokéflute badly out here in the wilderness! It might attract..." Rowlet briefly looked behind himself and then whispered in Litten's ear. "A Bewear."

"A Bewear? You mean like the ones that...don't exist?!"

"What are you saying?"

"There's no such thing! They're just a myth!"

"Oh no Litten, Bewears are all too real. It says so in the Alola Region Inquirer." Rowlet said as he held up a magazine.

"I Married a Bewear?"

"Yeah, and Fake Science Monthly!" Popplio added, holding up another magazine.

"Bewears and Fairy Tales are Real? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Well, maybe it is stupid, but it's also dumb!"

"Popplio's right, Litten. Bewears are no laughing matter. Why, once I met this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy's cousin..."

"You're right! I should be more careful. In fact, why don't you tell me all of the things I shouldn't do if I want to keep the Bewears away?"

"Okay, that's easy. First off, don't play a Pokéflute."

"Okay. Then what?"

"Never wave a flashlight back and fourth really fast."

"Flashlights are their natural prey."

"You're kidding."

"Don't stomp around. They take that as a challenge."

Litten was writing down everything. "Go on."

"Don't ever eat cheese."

"Sliced or cubed?"

Rowlet and Popplio whispered to each other. "Cubed. Sliced is fine."

"Yeah, yeah, and?"

"Never wear a sombrero..." Rowlet began.

"In a goofy fashion!" Popplio added.

"Or clown shoes."

"Or a hoop skirt."

"And never..."

"Ever..."

"Ever...Screech like a Chimchar!"

"Wow! That's amazing how many things can set a Bewear off!"

"They're horrible!" Rowlet and Popplio whimpered as they held onto each other.

"And...and suddenly I have the sense we're all in danger."

"Why?"

"I don't know..." Litten ran off and came back with all of the things that attract Bewears with a sinister grin. "Just a feeling!"

Rowlet and Popplio were completely horrified. "No."

"Yes."

"Litten, please don't!" Rowlet and Popplio begged as Litten began stomping and waving the flashlight around while screeching like a Chimchar.

"Rowlet, what are we gonna do? A Bewear's sure to come and eat us!"

"Don't worry, Popplio. I'll draw us an anti-Bewear circle in the dirt." Rowlet drew a circle in the dirt around them with a stick.

"Good thinking! All the experts say it's the only defense again a Bewear attack."

Litten laughed. "You guys are so gullible. See? I did everything that attracts a Bewear, and nothing happened. If Bewears really exist, why didn't one show up?"

"Maybe it's because you're not wearing your sombrero in a goofy fashion." Rowlet pointed out.

"Oh, pfft. How silly of me! You mean like this?" Litten laughed as he tilted the sombrero to the side, until something came and turned it upside down. It was a Bewear.

"No. Like that." The Bewear growled, and Litten screamed and ran away as it began to maul him. "Litten, are you okay?" Rowlet asked.

"No." Litten answered weakly as he was lying on the ground all bruised and battered.

"Quick! Jump into out anti-Bewear circle before he comes back!"

"Yeah. Bewears often attack more than once." Popplio added.

"Are you crazy? A dirt circle won't stop that monster. I'm running for my life!"

"No!" Rowlet and Popplio yelled as the Bewear came back and mauled Litten again.

"Don't run! Bewears hate that!"

"Thanks for the tip. I guess I'll just limp home then."

"No!" The Bewear went and mauled Litten again.

"They hate limping more than running!"

"Well, I guess I'll just have..." Litten was interrupted as the Bewear mauled him again.

"I should have warned you about crawling."

The Bewear randomly went and mauled Litten again. "What'd I do this time?"

"I don't know! I guess he just doesn't like you."

"Pretend to be somebody else!" Popplio suggested.

"Here, draw a circle." Rowlet threw a stick over to Litten.

"Okay." Litten was mauled by the Bewear once again.

"That was an oval. It has to be a circle!"

"Move over!" Litten jumped into the circle on top of Rowlet and Popplio. The Bewear went over and noticed the circle in the dirt, and then pointed at Litten and walked away. "Hey, it worked! You guys saved my life!"

"Yeah, I'm glad it was just a Bewear. This circle would never hold back an Alolan Rhyhorn!" Rowlet said.

"What attracts them?" Litten asked.

"The sound of a Bewear attack." Standing right next to them was a giant Rhyhorn, its body completely covered in steel armor, making it look almost like a Lairon. "Good thing we're all wearing our anti-Alolan Rhyhorn undergarments. Right, Litten?"

"Huh?"


	3. Sailor Mouth

"Well, it's the worst time of the day once again." Crabrawler cringed as he changed the Open sign to Closed. "Closing time!"

"Well, see you in the A.M., Mr. Crabrawler."

"Hold on there, Rowlet!" Crabrawler pulled Rowlet close to him in a disturbed manner. "Take that pile of filth out with you." He pointed to where Litten was holding a large trash bag.

Rowlet gasped. "Mr. Crabrawler, you shouldn't talk about Litten like that!"

"He means this filth, you loon." Litten muttered as he drop the trash bag on the floor.

"Takin' out the trash, takin' out the trash." Rowlet sang to himself as he went outside and tossed the trash bag into the dumpster. He then noticed that there was some writing on it. "Hmm...dumpster writing! The voice of the people! Up with bubbles, down with air!" He laughed. "Charjabug are Pokémon too! Ha, those Charjabug. Here's one someone didn't finish! Litten smells. Good." Rowlet wrote the word to finish the sentence. "Hmm, what's this one? Crabrawler is a...hmm? Crabrawler is a # $%."

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" An Alolan Muk asked in disgust.

"Well, sometimes, but not...recently."

"Hi, garbage mon. Hi, Rowlet."

"Hi, Popplio! Hey Popplio, do you know what this word means?"

"Crabrawler...Uh, isn't that the blue sweaty guy you work for?"

"Nah-uh, not that word, that word." Rowlet pointed to the last word.

"Hmm...# $%! Oh, hey! I think I know what that means. That's one of those sentence enhancers."

"Sentence enhancers?"

"You use them when you want to talk fancy. You just sprinkle it over anything you say, and Wham-o! You've got yourself a spicy sentence sandwhich!"

"Oh, I get it! Let me try." Rowlet cleared his throat. "Hello, Popplio. Lovely # $% day we're having, isn't it?"

"Why, yes it is, Rowlet. This # $% day is particularly # $% lovely!"

"How # $% right you are, Popplio!" They continued to say the swear word over and over again. "Ooh, you're right, Popplio. My lips are tingling from the spiciness of this conversation."

"Oh, mine too!" Rowlet and Popplio started to laugh.

"It tingles when I laugh!"

* * *

The next morning, Rowlet walked into the Crusty Crabrawler. "Hello customers, nice # $% day we're having, huh?" The customers all stopped eating and stared in shock.

A Golduck gasped. "Did he just say?!"

"Aye, he did." A Dhelmise replied.

"Hey Popplio, how the # $% are ya?"

"Pretty # $% good, Rowlet."

"I thought this was a restaurant, not a gutter mouth convention." A Drampa muttered.

Rowlet went up to the front and spoke into the microphone. "Attention customers, todays special is a # $% Krabby Patty served in a greasy # $% sauce and grilled to # $% perfection." A mother Tentacruel covered her laughing children's ears and put a soda cup on one's head. "And don't forget to ask us to # $% the # $% fries. It will be our # $% pleasure." Litten's ears immediately perked up upon hearing the intercom. "Hi Litten, how the # $% are ya?"

"Nice # $% day we're having, isn't it, Litten?" Popplio asked.

"I don't understand. That guy's talented, he doesn't have to work blue." A Nidoking muttered.

"Let's go somewhere more family oriented." Everyone left the Crusty Crabrawler, grumbling in frustration.

Sirens suddenly wailed and Crabrawler heard the sirens from the bathroom. "Huh? The Crusty Crabrawler, she's empty!" He quickly ran into the dining room. "All hands on deck! Batten the front doors! Brace the cash register! Break out the happy snacks! Litten, where have all me money paying customers gone?"

"Apparently, the two Binacle-mouth brothers just learned a new word, and Rowlet just said it over the intercom."

"Well, what was it? What'd he say?"

"Er...he said...um, well he said..." Litten whispered something to Crabrawler.

"Huh?" Litten whispered the word again, and Crabrawler gasped. "Rowlet and friend! Front and center! Why I oughta make the two of you paint the Crusty Crabrawler for using such language!"

"But Mr. Crabrawler, we were only using our sentence enhancers."

"Yeah, it's fancy talk." Popplio added.

"There ain't nothing fancy about that word!"

"You mean # $%?" Rowlet asked.

"Yes, that one! Now quit saying that! It's a bad word!"

"Bad word?!" Rowlet and Popplio quickly started wiping their tongues.

"Yes sirree, that's bad word number 11. In fact, there are 13 bad words you should never use."

"Don't you mean there are only 7?" Litten asked.

"Not if you're a sailor." Carbrawler laughed.

"Wow, 13."

"That's a lot of # $% bad words."

"Ok, boys. I want you to promise me you'll never use that word again."

"We promise." Rowlet and Popplio nodded.

* * *

"Gee, I'm glad Mr. Crabrawler told us that word we were using was a bad word!" Rowlet said as he and Popplio were now at his house.

"Yeah, me too, because classy sophisticates like us wouldn't stain out lips with cursing."

"Yeah, verily. Now let's play a nice, wholesome game of Ekans and Escalators."

"Oh boy, my favorite!" Popplio cheered.

"Come on, Gary needs a new pair of shoes!" Rowlet rolled the dice.

"Oh, Ekans. Too bad Rowlet, you gotta ride the Ekans."

"Darn." Rowlet muttered as he moved his game piece on an Ekans.

"My turn!" Popplio rolled the dice. "Hooray! Escalators! Yay! Up, up, up!"

"Come on, escalators, escalators, escalators!" Rowlet rolled the dice and sighed. "Ekans again."

"My turn!" Popplio rolled the dice again. "Escalators!"

"Escalators, escalators, escalators!" Rowlet threw the dice. "Ekans?"

Popplio rolled the dice once more. "Es-skee-lators! Well, this is your last chance, Rowlet, or if you get Ekans again, you lose!"

Rowlet started to become frustrated. "Escalators, escalators, escalators!" He threw the dice and it finally landed on escalators. "Ha! Escalators!"

The dice magically turned to the other side. "Ekans."

"Ah, # $%!" Rowlet yelled, and then quickly covered his mouth upon realzing his mistake.

"Ooohhh! You said number 11!"

"I didn't mean...you gotta understand Popplio, I was trying...what I meant to say was...some things just slip out. You gotta understand!"

"Don't worry , I understand." Popplio was silent for a moment, and then he quickly ran out of the treehouse. "Mr. Crabrawler! Mr. Crabrawler! Mr. Crabrawler! Mr. Crabrawler!"

"No wait, Popplio!" Rowlet quickly ran after him. "Popplio no, please don't tell!"

"But, you said # $%!"

"Aha! Now I'm gonna tell Mr. Crabrawler on you!"

"Not if I tell first!"

"I can run faster than you!" Rowlet laughed, until he saw Popplio riding on the back of an ice cream truck.

"See ya at the Crusty !" Popplio laughed, until the truck went in the wrong direction. "Oh, no!"

Rowlet quickly ran inside the restaurant. "Mr. Crabrawler, Mr. Crabrawler, Mr. Crabrawler!

"What, what, what?"

"Popplio, Popplio, Popplio!"

"Yes, yes, yes?"

"He said, he said, he said!"

"Out with it, boy."

"Me and Popplio were playing Ekans and Escalators, and Popplio was going up-up-up, and I had to ride the Ekans and then we ran and Popplio, he said some things." Rowlet spoke quickly.

"What kind of things?"

"Well, he said..."

"Yes?!"

"Well uh, let's just say he said a certain word that you said we shouldn't say, and this particular word happens to be number 11 in the 13 words you said shouldn't be said."

"Uh...Right, now what was that part about the, um...Who now?"

Popplio then came into the restaurant with an ice cream cone, but he quickly threw it away. "Mr. Crabrawler, Mr. Crabralwer, Mr. Crabrawler!"

"He said that word that you said we shouldn't say!" Rowlet and Popplio spoke at once.

"...number 13..."

Crabrawler stared in dispproval as Rowlet and Popplio began to babble on about the word, and eventually the two of them just began to point at each other and yell incoherently, and he quickly grabbed their mouths to quiet them. "Now, I'm gonna let go of yer lips, and when I do, I want you to calmly tell me what youse need to tell me, understand?"

"Mmm-hmm..." Rowlet and Popplio nodded as Crabrawler let go of their mouths, and then they pointed at each other again. "He said # $%!"

Crabrawler gasped. "Do my ears decieve me?! You two should be ashamed! Time to take out the trash." He grabbed Rowlet and Popplio and carried them out of the restaurant. "You two need to be taught a lesson. I thought I made it clear. Never, and I mean, never use number 11 or any of the 13 bad words! Now both of youse wait right here. I'll be back."

"What's going to happen to us?"

"We'll probably get 40 lashes!"

"Oh, no!" Popplio shuddered as he imagined himself with 40 eyelashes.

"I'm sorry, Popplio. Mr. Crabrawler was right. There's no need for words like that."

"I'm sorry too, Rowlet."

"Let's make a vow, Popplio. From this day forth a foul word shall never pass our lips! We'll be good citizens, just like good ol', Mr. Crabrawler."

"Agreed!" Popplio nodded as he shook hands with Rowlet.

"Alright, you two foul mouths. As punishment for  _fouling_  the air in me restaurant with yer foul words, you're going to give the a fresh coat of paint from top to bottom." Crabrawler jammed his foot on a rock and hopped around in pain. "Ow, ooh! Ow! My # $% foot! What # $% genius puts a # $% rock in a # $% path?! Can't you see I got a &^*$ foot here?! Oh! %$^*!" Crabrawler continued to spew a bunch of swear words while Rowlet and Popplio counted.

"Five, six, seven..."

"...a whole lotta *$^ and with a side of # $%, a heapin' helpin' of $#*^ and a boatload of %* &..."

"Nine..." Popplio counted as Crabrawler continued to yell in pain.

"That's all 13, Popplio!" Rowlet gasped. "We're gonna tell your mom, Mr. Crabrawler!"

"No, please, not me mommy!" Crabrawler begged, and Rowlet and Popplio laughed as they ran over to his mother's house, and he quickly ran after them. "Wait, please don't tell me mother! I don't think her little old heart can take it!"

Rowlet and Popplio went over to Crabrawler's mom's house and banged on the door. "Mama Crabrawler, Mama Crabrawler!"

"Why, hello there!"

"Mama Crabrawler, he said # $% and then he said # $% again and said # $% and then he screamed at the top of his voice *$^! And he-%* &\- Mama Crabrawler, he didn't care! Such a stream of *$^%* & I have never heard in my days!" Rowlet explained.

"Oh, dear! My poor old heart." Mama Crabrawler gasped in shock as she fainted.

Crabrawler gasped. "Oh, dear mother! What have these foul-mouthed heathens done to you? You two should be ashamed! Making an old lady faint with your sailor talk!"

Mama Crabrawler then woke up. "You should all be ashamed. And if you're gonna talk like sailors, then you're gonna work like sailors."

* * *

Rowlet and Crabrawler were painting Mama Crabrawler's house while Popplio was painting the sand. "I guess you three scallywags have earned a glass of lemonade." She laughed like Popeye, and then stubbed her foot on a rock. "Yeeoww! My # $% foot!"

Rowlet and Popplio gasped in shock. "Mother!" Crabrawler gasped.

"What? It's Old Mon Drampa and his jalopy."

"Howdy, Mrs. C!" A Drampa called out as he honked the horn on his old car, and Rowlet, Popplio, Crabrawler, and Mama Crabrawler all laughed.


	4. Litten the Unfriendly Ghost

"Have I told you how beautiful you are?" Litten asked a wax sculpture of himself. "Your paws, your nose, your eyes...a little lopsided." He took out one of the eyes and fixed it before putting it back into place. "There. And now that I've been immortalized in wax, I have conquered all artistic media. Come on, my precious reflection, smile!" Litten made the statue smile, but then suddenly heard a crash from outside and frowned, and the statue frowned as well.

"Hike, Popplio, hike!" Rowlet and Popplio ran in separate directions. Rowlet dropped a huge rock on the ground while Popplio blew a chess piece across a chessboard. "You just lost three points. One. Two. Five!" He climbed up a tree and blew a bubble. "G7!"

"G7? King me! King me!" Popplio ran right into the tree and popped the bubble. "I lose!"

"But it's not Tuesday, Popplio."

"Tartar sauce!"

"Hey! What are you two doing?" Litten asked.

Rowlet and Popplio looked at each other and shrugged. "We don't know."

"Hey Popplio, do you know what time it is?"

"Uh, yeah Litten, it's..."

"Time to find some other game to play!" Litten laughed as he went back inside and prepared to take a bath.

"Now what?" Rowlet asked.

"We could toss that shell back and fourth."

"Okay...ready!" Rowlet picked up the shell and threw it towards Popplio, who shot it into the air. "I got it! I got it!" The shell flew through Litten's window and right into the side of the wax sculpture, causing it to fall over. Litten heard a thump from the other room, but just ignored it. Rowlet and Popplio entered the house through the window. "Remember Popplio, finders keepers."

"There it is!" Popplio pointed to the shell that was wedged in the wax sculpture of Litten.

"I got it! I got it!" They both rushed for the shell and Popplio pulled it out.

"Bonus points!" Popplio started to walk off.

"Uhh, Popplio? I think something's wrong with Litten. He looks unconscious."

"Don't worry. I know how to do this." Popplio tried to do CPR on Litten but his face turned a dark purple and floated in the air. He let out all the air and landed right on top of the sculpture's head.

"Get off him, Popplio!"

"What are you worried about?" Popplio asked as his back flippers have been imprinted on the sculpture's face. "He looks better already."

"But he still feels cold."

"Well, let's go put him in the warm." Rowlet and Popplio moved the sculpture in front of the window.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Rowlet asked as the sculpture started to melt.

"You know, you worry too much. The Popplio is here and Rowlet I know a lot about head injuries, believe..." Popplio started to drool, and Rowlet snapped his fingers. "Me. Hey, what's that on your foot?"

"I don't know."

"It kind of looks like..." Rowlet and Popplio looked down to see a puddle of black right beneath them.

"Litten!" They screamed as they frantically ran around.

Meanwhile, Litten was busy powdering his face.

"No, no, that part goes here." Rowlet said as he and Popplio frantically tried to put the melted sculpture back together.

"Yeah-yeah, that's it, uh-huh."

"We're almost there. We can do this."

"It's working, it's working..."

"This is working." The sculpture melted again. "Popplio, this isn't working!"

"Look!" The sculpture's eyes turned over into the puddle.

"I don't know how to say it, but our old pal Litten, he's...he's...he's pushing up daisies!"

"Oh, I thought he was dead."

Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open and someone came out in a cloud of white. Rowlet and Popplio gasped and held onto each other and Litten screamed upon noticing them. "What are you doing here?! Well? Are you two trying to say something, or do I have to..."

"No, stay back!" Rowlet shouted.

"What is the matter with you two?"

"Don't-Don't hurt us!" Popplio begged.

"It was an accident!"

"What are you two talking about?" Litten then noticed the black puddle on the floor and screamed. "Look what you've done to me! When I get my paws on you, I'll..."

"Please, Mr. Litten's ghost! Spare us your ghostly anger!" Rowlet begged as Popplio kissed Litten's feet.

"Oh yes, Mr. Litten's ghost! Please don't haunt us!"

"We'll do anything you want! Just have mercy on us!"

An evil grin spread across Litten's face as an idea came to his mind. "Enough! Listen up, Litten's ghost is feeling unusually generous today. He hath decided to spare ye a horrible fate. All ye must do is tend to my every whim and tickle my fancy on demand."

"Does that include..." Rowlet began.

"Quiet! Now, do as you're told! Lest ye insur the wrath of Litten!"

"I hope they make a cream for that now." Popplio whispered to Rowlet.

* * *

Rowlet and Popplio carried Litten outside on his bed. "Here?" Rowlet asked.

"Too hot."

The two walked a little more and stopped. "Here?"

"No, too wet. Keep going."

Rowlet and Popplio kept walking until they passed a background with Oricorio dancing. "Here?"

"Toulouse-Lautrec." Litten answered as a rimshot was heard.

"Too tired..." Rowlet and Popplio then collapsed at the same area they started.

"Perfect. Hmmm, I feel needy. Slaves, fetcheth me some nourishment."

"Only the freshest, o spooky one." Rowlet and Popplio ran off and Rowlet came back a moment later with grape. "A grape fresh from the vine, your ghostlyness." Litten ate the grape and Rowlet went and got a banana. "A banana peeled to your liking, you incomporealness." Rowlet dropped the banana right into Litten's mouth, and Popplio came back with a watermelon and dropped it right into his mouth.

"One watermelon fresh from the manure field, your spookyness." Litten lay on the ground with a large head.

"Art thou not pleased?"

Litten spit out the watermelon right at the two of them. "Enough of that! I want something else to eat now. Something that's very difficult to find."

"What do you hunger for, master?" Popplio asked.

"Whatever you want, we'll find it. We'll find it."

"Cherry pie." Popplio then held up a pie. "Where'd you get that?"

"I found it."

"Well, go find it again!" Litten threw the pie and Popplio went to look for it. "Rowlet, get over here. Now spin around." Rowlet turned his back to Litten. "That's better. Now jog in place." Rowlet did as he was told. "Say flank steak."

"Flank steak."

"I think I'm beginning to like this. Stop. Now, play me an elaborate song with this!" Litten gave Rowlet a tissue.

"But this is just a piece of tissue paper."

"Oh, my. Always having to have it our way, don't we? Oh, boo-hoo."

Rowlet tried to blow into the tissue. "I can't do it!"

"Well, I hope you don't have any plans tonight, because you're not allowed to leave that spot until I hear a song." Litten then walked away, leaving Rowlet alone. He continued to stand there for the day and night, and the next day he was lying on the ground with the tissue on his beak. "What's this? Napping on the job? You're supposed to be making music for me. As punishment for this insolence, Litten's ghost commandeth you to clean out his back room."

Popplio then came back with the pie. "I found it."

"I'll take that!" Litten took the pie and threw it at Popplio's face.

"Yes, your ghostliness!" Popplio licked some of the pie off his face. "This is fun."

* * *

"Popplio, are you ready for this?"

"Yes."

Rowlet took a couple steps forward. "Okay, let's go. Popplio, are you coming?"

"Yes."

"Popplio, it's this way."

"Where?"

"Here."

"Oh, coming!" Popplio followed Rowlet into a room with a bunch of junk in it. "How are we going to clean up all this mess?"

"It's easy. Just tear the wallpaper off!"

Popplio laughed. "Oh look, you missed some."

Rowlet then picked up a book. "Oh, let's see. It's a comic book. It's the Origin of the Flying Lunala. It says when her trainer died, they used her body as a window display. Now the Lunala haunts the Alolan skies because her trainer was never put to rest. Well, don't you get it, Popplio?"

"We're going to go shopping?"

"No! We're gonna put poor old Litten to rest."

* * *

Litten was sitting on the couch, when Rowlet and Popplio spit some spitballs at him. "Ow, what the heck was that?"

"Initiation! That was part one of your ceremony." Rowlet answered.

"Ceremony for what?"

"We're going to put you to rest."

"I don't want to be put to rest! All I want are those chores done. Now, did you clean the back room yet?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm going to go check." Litten got up and opened a door, and screamed when he saw Rowlet and Popplio with a coffin.

"Okay, get in."

"Are you crazy? I'm not getting in that thing."

"But you said we could put you to rest."

"I didn't say anything like that! Now, get out of my house!" Litten pushed Rowlet and Popplio out of his house. "Now what?" He looked outside to see Rowlet writing on a tombstone.

"I wrote Here lies Litten. You may not remember him, but..." Litten screamed. "Oh, hi Litten. Does this look deep enough?"

"Rowlet! Cut that out!"

Rowlet noticed a bunch of Pokémon in front of Litten's house. "Oh, look, the mourners have arrived."

"Oh Litten, we all came as soon as we were sure you were dead." Crabrawler said.

"Rowlet, are you trying to put me in the nuthouse?"

"No, just into this hole."

"Rowlet, I have a confession to make." Litten sighed as he took off his cap.

Rowlet gasped. "You're bald?"

"No, I'm not bald! I'm alive! Now get rid of that tombstone and tell all your friends to go home!"

"But-"

"Do it!"

"Go home." Everyone began to walk away sadly. "But Master-"

"I'm not your master, I'm your neighbor. Now do me a favor and please stop doing me favors."

"As you wish, master."

"Boy, he really had us fooled."

"No Popplio, he's the fool. He's a ghost in denial. He needs us now more than ever."

"You're right. He really needs to get up to the great beyond."

"Popplio, say that again."

"That again?"

"No, the other thing."

"No, the other thing."

"No, what you said before when you..."

"No, what you said before when you..."

"Never mind. I've got an idea."

"Never mind. I've got an idea."

* * *

Litten was busy reclining in a chair outside, and Rowlet had Popplio try to blow a bubble big enough to get him inside.

"I can't reach him!"

"Blow harder."

Popplio blew even harder, and the bubble completely consumed Litten and lifted him into the air. "There he goes!"

"Isn't he beautiful?"

"How high's he going to go?"

"All the way, Popplio. Up to the great beyond." Rowlet and Popplio then waved goobye. "Goodbye, friend."

"Happy trails!"

Litten noticed that he was trapped inside a bubble and began to yell, bur his voice was muffled.

"You're welcome!" Rowlet and Popplio called out as Litten went higher into the sky.

"He's on the other side now."

"Yeah. He's in a better place." Popplio nodded as Litten was floating in a bubble high in the sky with Wingull flying all around him.


	5. Scaredy Rowlet

Halloween is no different in Alola. Pirates, skeletons, and sea monsters. Ah-ha-ha-ha! Oh, sorry. Everyone is having fun. Well, almost everyone.

Rowlet was busy cleaning the dishes in the kitchen when the door creaked open. "Huh? Who's there?" He asked, but there was no one at the door. Rowlet went back to washing dishes, and then turned around to see three pieces of paper spelling put the word 'Boo' on the ordering turntable. He then sped up on the dishes, nearly dropping some on the floor. "Okay, Mr. Crabrawler, the dishes are done, I'm leaving!" Rowlet tried to run out the front door when Crabrawler stopped him.

"Hold on. Don't you want to hear my annual scary story?"

"No thank you, Mr. Crabrawler. Uhh, does it have monsters in it?"

"Aye, the worst monster of them all."

"Uhh...no." Rowlet then opened the door and turned around. "Is it a true story?"

"True as the deep blue."

"Okay, maybe just a little."

"Have a seat, me boy." Rowlet sat on a log and Crabrawler came carrying a campfire and placed it in the middle of the room. "Every year on Halloween night, the Flying Lunala descends on the Alola region, from another dimension, just like this. Only bigger!" Crabrawler used a patty to demonstrate.

"Excuse me, does that dimension look like a Krabby Patty?"

"Like I was saying, the Flying Lunala swoops down and starts stealing people and Pokémon's souls." Crabrawler said as he held up a pickle.

"Do souls look like pickles?"

"Aye, as a matter of fact, they do. And she puts them where you can never get them...in her soul bag." Crabrawler dropped the pickle into a bag to demonstrate, and laughed evilly as Litten appeared from behind Rowlet.

"I've come for your pickle!" Rowlet screamed and shot up into the air.

"Ah, Scaredy Rowlet gets easier to scare every year!"

Rowlet looked to see that it was actually Litten. "Humph, Litten!"

"Nothing like a good ghost story, eh, me boy? Hope you're not too scared to come to me party tonight, Scaredy Rowlet!" Crabrawler laughed as he walked out.

Litten walked up from behind Rowlet. "Steal your soul." Rowlet screamed and jumped right out of the restaurant. As he began to walk home, he saw a jack-o-lantern and a Azurill kid dressed up as a cowboy.

"Twick-ow-tweat!" The Azurill said, and Rowlet screamed and ran away.

"It's okay, son. That's just the Scaredy Rowlet." The mother Azumarill told her son.

Rowlet continued to walk home, when someone drove up and honked their horn, causing him to scream and jump onto a street light. It just turn out to be his Wigglytuff teacher dressed up as a witch. "Happy Halloween, Scaredy Rowlet!" Wigglytuff laughed as she drove off.

"I'm not a scaredy Rowlet!"

* * *

"I don't get it, Gary. Every Halloween, no matter how hard I try, everybody scares me." Rowlet told his Caterpie as he started to carve a pumpkin from the inside. "Well, I'm sick of it. No more Scaredy Rowlet!" Rowlet then came out of the pumpkin, and screamed and ran to his closet upon noticing it. There was then a knock at his door.

"Rowlet!"

"It's Popplio! I'm going to scare him! It's my turn." Rowlet went over the door and opened it, trying to do his best scary face. "Rawr!"

"Hiya, Rowlet!" Popplio greeted, and he was wearing some funny glasses. Rowlet screamed and jumped towards the ceiling. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Why can't I be frightening for once? Where's my chance?"

"Well, if you want to be scary, you need a good costume."

* * *

Moments later, Rowlet walked out of his closet with a big white sheet over his body. "What do you think?"

"Great! You're going as my trick-or-treat bag!"

"No, no! I'm supposed to be the Flying Lunala!"

"Uhh...something's missing. I know!" Popplio ran inside the closet and came back a moment later with a pair of wooden clogs. "Step into these babies, Hans." Rowlet then stepped into the clogs. "Terrifying."

"I don't know, Popplio." Rowlet began, when the doorbell rang.

"Come on, Rowlet. It's little kids! Little kids are easy to scare!" Popplio then went over to the front door and opened it.

"Trick-or-treat!" Three kids greeted. Rowlet then jumped out in an attempt to scare them, but they only ended up laughing.

"Look, it's the haunted shopping bag!"

"Okay, okay, here's your candy."

"No, please, that was enough of a treat, thank you." The kids walked away laughing.

"I don't get it, Popplio."

"Rowlet, look at my new paper Zubat! Oooh, scary!"

"That is it, Popplio!"

"What's it?"

"What's the difference between that Zubat and me?"

Popplio looked between the paper Zubat and Rowlet. "No, no, no wait. Don't tell me. D-Don't tell me. Don't tell me! Don't tell me! I can do this! Don't tell me! Don't tell me! Okay, tell me."

"I've got bird wings, and a Zubat's got bat wings. All we have to do is modify my wings and boo, I'm scary!"

"Okay, are you ready?" Popplio asked as they were now in the bathroom.

"Remember, like this."

Popplio started to shave off some of Rowlet's feathers. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Shave me down, make me scary!"

"Alright, let's get to it." Popplio then started to shave off the rest of Rowlet's feathers.

* * *

"What do you think?" Rowlet asked as he spread his wings, which were now more scarier.

"Perfect. Now that's scary!" Popplio then put on his funny glasses. "Let's go scare somebody."

"Oooh...I'm the Flying Lunala!"

"Oooh...I don't know who I am!"

Rowlet and Popplio went over to a house and knocked on the door. "Rawr! Rawr! I'm the Flying Lunala!"

"Oooh, I'm the Flying Lunala's best friend!" Rowlet and Popplio laughed as they ran away.

"Hey, don't you kids want your candy?" The Gumshoos asked.

Rowlet and Popplio jumped behind a rock shaped like a skull. "Oh boy, that was something. Your costume really packs a punch."

"Do you think?"

"Oh, no question! You scared the pants off that guy!"

"Who should we scare next?"

"There's a whole party full of Pokémon at the Crusty Crabrawler and the Flying Lunala is going to show up uninvited!" The two of them heard some kids laughing. "Here comes someone now!"

Rowlet jumped out from behind the rock to scare the three kids from earlier. "Rawr! Rawr! I'm the Flying Lunala!" He and Popplio then ran off laughing.

"Wasn't that the haunted shopping bag?" One of the kids asked.

"I guess he's been promoted to a haunted sleeping bag!" Another kid replied as they all laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Crusty Crabrawler, a huge Halloween party was going on. Crabrawler was bobbing for apples for his daughter Steenee. He managed to successfully bob an apple, but accidentally swallowed it and made weird faces as he chocked on it.

"Oh, dad, you're embarrassing me again!" Steenee wailed as she ran away crying. After some struggling, Crabrawler managed to spit out the apple and it flew past Litten and an Emolga.

"Howdy Litten, I mean, Flying Lunala. Great party, huh?"

"What are you supposed to be?"

"Why, I'm a Minun!"

"I don't get it."

Meanwhile, Rowlet and Popplio were on the roof of the restaurant, with Rowlet tied up with rope. Rowlet opened a hatch on the roof to get a peek at the party that was going on down below.

"Are you ready, Rowlet?"

Rowlet gave a thumbs-up in response. "Okay Popplio, kill the lights!"

Popplio then shut off all the lights in the restaurant, and everyone inside started screaming. He then spoke through a megaphone as he began to lower Rowlet. "Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I am the Flying Lunala! Booga, booga, booga, booga! Give me your souls!" A Tentacool then came by. It rubbed its two tentacles together in deviousness, and then delivered a Poison Sting right into Popplio's back. He paused for a moment, and then started screaming in pain as he let go of the rope, causing Rowlet to plunge to the floor. He began to run all around the roof, and Rowlet was swinging all over the place. Eventually, Popplio stopped and Rowlet dangled upside down on the ceiling.

"Hey, that's no Lunala, that's Rowlet!" A kid pointed out.

"Rowlet?" Emolga asked, and then everyone started laughing.

"Help! Help!"

Popplio then spoke through the megaphone. "I am not Rowlet. Those are my street clothes!"

Suddenly, the front doors slammed open and some kind of strange wormhole appeared. "Enough!" A loud voice shouted, and everyone gasped as a giant bat creature entered the Crusty Crabrawler, its giant wings as dark as the night sky.

"It's the real Flying Lunala!" Crabrawler gasped, and then fainted into the barrel of apples.

"You bet your silly little livers I'm the Flying Lunala. I'm going to let you in on a secret. I'm going to steal your souls." The Lunala said calmly, and then everyone screamed. "Quiet! You had it coming, you little crybabies. Every year, people and Pokémon dressing up like me." Litten quickly removed his costume and whistled nonchalantly. "Turning the Flying Lunala's name into a laughing stock. But that's not the reason I'm taking your souls." Lunala then pointed to Rowlet, who was still hanging upside down. "No, this is the straw that broke the Camerupts's back. Out of all the Lunala costumes I've seen, yours is the most insulting."

"Do you mean I'm not scary?"

"You? Scary?!" Lunala laughed and used her psychic to untie the rope from around Rowlet and carry him to the floor. "Let me tell you about scary, kid. There's all kinds of scary things in the world. Ariados are scary. I'm scary. You...You're not scary. Okay, let's get this over with." Lunala laughed evilly as everyone screamed in horror.

"Rowlet!" Emolga gasped.

"First, I gotta get rid of this stupid costume." Lunala used her psychic to remove Rowlet's costume, and what she saw next completely scared her, and she flew away screaming in terror. Rowlet stood in the restaurant, his body completely naked as he had no feathers.

"Hey, what do you know? I scared her!" Rowlet laughed, and then everyone else ran out screaming. "It worked, Popplio. I scared everybody!"

"Yeah, I guess it's your pink coat."

"Pink coat? Oh, that's not a coat. That's just my skin. You shaved off all my feathers, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Popplio paused for a moment, and then ran off screaming.

"Don't worry, they grow back!"


	6. Idiot Box

"See anything yet, Popplio?" Rowlet asked.

"I need my glasses." Popplio put a pair of water glasses over his eyes and looked. "Hmm...it's the mail!"

"Our package!" Rowlet and Popplio cheered, and then they began to dance and hop around.

"I didn't realize it was Happy Hopping Moron Day." Litten muttered.

"Rowlet?" The delivery Pelipper asked.

"That's me!" Rowlet answered, and the delivery bird threw a huge box next to him and Popplio.

"That's a big box!" Litten commented.

"Thank you!" Rowlet said as they continued hopping.

"Hey Rowlet, when do we stop hopping?" Popplio asked.

"30 more seconds, Popplio."

"They probably ordered a lifetime supply of bubble soap." Litten laughed as Rowlet and Popplio carried a big-screen TV out of the box. "Huh? A brand new television?"

"Easy...easy..." They then threw the TV into a trash can. "Yeah!" They then jumped into the box and closed the flaps.

"Just when you thought they couldn't get any stupider." Litten muttered as he went over to the box. "Let me get this straight, you two ordered a giant screen television just so you could play in the box?"

"Pretty smart, huh?" Rowlet asked.

"I thought it wouldn't work."

"Uh-huh, that's quite a plan there. Oh, but wait, there was something else I wanted to ask you two. Now what was it? Oh, yeah, yeah. DON'T YOU TWO HAVE ANY BRAINS?!" Litten yelled right in Rowlet and Popplio's faces.

"Litten, we don't need a television. Not as long as we have our...imagination!" Rowlet said as he made a rainbow over his head with his wings.

"Wow, I never thought of it that way. That's really something. Can I have your TV?"

"With...imagination, I can be anything I want! A pirate! Arrrr! A football player! Hup!"

"A sea lion!"

"Popplio, you're already a sea lion."

"See, Litten? It works! You try!"

"Okay, let's see. I'm imagining myself watching TV...and there it is!" Litten pointed to the TV in the trash can. "Can I have it, Rowlet?"

"Sure, Litten."

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Litten ran over to the TV and began to push it inside his house.

"Okay Litten, but if you change your mind, we'll be in this box!"

"Let's play Mountain Climbing Adventure!"

"Let's go for it!" Rowlet pulled down the flaps of the box. "Gloves!"

"Check."

"Hats!"

"Check."

"Underwear!"

"Uh...check!"

"Okay Popplio, climb up there and secure this rope."

"You got it!" Climbing noises could be heard from inside the box.

"Popplio! Popplio! Popplio, you're going too high!"

"I hope they put some air holes in that box." Litten muttered as he went inside his house.

"Take it easy, Popplio, you've got to acclimate!"

"I'll take it easy when I'm dead! I'm shaking hands with Tapu Koko! Whoo! Excelsior!"

"Now where's that remote?" Litten walked outside and found the TV remote lying right next to the box. He picked it up and leaned closer to the box to listen to what was going on.

"I am the Sandshrew king! Whoo!"

"Popplio? Popplio? Popplio! I think we should keep our voices down! We might start an avalanche!"

"What?"

"I said, I think we should keep our voices down in case of avalanches!"

"What should we keep down?"

"Our voices!"

"Will you two shut up?!" Litten kicked the box, and Rowlet and Popplio screamed as the sound of an avalanche erupted from inside the box. He became shocked as he heard the two of them start to cry. "Row...let?" Litten softly touched the box and ended up causing another avalanche.

"Hold me."

"Hang in there buddy, the chopper's on the way!"

"Rowlet! My flippers are frozen solid! You're going to have to cut them off with a saw!"

"No Popplio, I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because I already cut off my own wings!"

"Noooooo!"

Litten quickly opened the box and looked inside to see Rowlet and Popplio sitting in the box completely unharmed. "What the? How were you two making that noise?"

"What noise, Litten?" Rowlet asked.

"I could only hear the sound of our laughter."

"Yes! But those effects, the avalanche, the the the..."

"Don't forget the second avalanche."

"Forget it." Litten closed the box. "I don't know why I'm wasting my time out here when I could be watching my brand new television." Suddenly, helicopter sounds could be heard from the box.

"Attention climbers, please hold on! The saws are on the way!" A pilot's voice announced.

"Yay!" Rowlet and Popplio cheered.

Litten quickly ran back to the box and opened it, and the two of them were just sitting in it. "How are you two doing that?"

"First we establish a base camp at 15,000 feet..." Rowlet began.

"The noises! How are you two making those noises?"

"That's easy. All you need is a box."

"And...imagination." Rowlet added as he formed another rainbow.

"Are you trying to say that I have no imagination? I have more imagination..." Litten tried for form a rainbow over his head, but failed. "...in one paw than you two have in your whole bodies."

"That's good. Now all you need is a box." Popplio then closed the box.

"I'll show them!" Litten quickly ran inside and dug through his closet. "There's got to be one in here!" He managed to find a small, round green box. "Ah! This hat box should do nicely." Litten got into the box which was too small for him. He just sat there for a moment, and then got angry and kicked the box, causing police sirens to go off.

"Attention! We have you surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"

"What do they want with me? What did I do?" Litten gasped. "Obviously, I've violated some new box kicking law!" He walked outside holding the green box. "Look officers, everything's okay. I won't do it again!"

"You'll never take me alive, coppers!"

"No, Johnny! Don't do it!" More police sirens could be heard, and Litten angrily kicked the green box towards the other box.

The sirens then stopped as Popplio poked his head out of the box. "Whoopee! Another box!"

"I got to try to relax. Perhaps I can drown out their childish games with a little TV." Litten turned on the TV where several boxes were being made in a factory.

"It is here that the boxes reach their final stage of assembly." Litten changed the channel where a professor was writing a box equation on a chalkboard.

"The equation is illustrated here by this box." The channel changed to a soap opera.

"I couldn't afford a present this year, so I got you this box."

"That's what I got you!"

"Isn't there anything on that isn't about BOXES?!" Litten asked in frustration. He then changed the channel where a boxing match was going on.

"And welcome back to Championship Boxing."

"Heh-heh, I guess this is okay. I mean, it's not really about boxes." The TV then showed that two boxes were actually fighting each other. "I give up."

"3...2...1...blast off!" The sound of a rocket taking off could be heard outside.

"How are they doing that? That was the most realistic space launch I've ever heard! There must be an explanation. Think, Litten, think!" Litten imagined Rowlet and Popplio playing with a tape recorder making realistic rocket sounds.

"Litten's such a jerk." Rowlet said, and they both laughed.

"Laugh at me, will they?" Litten went over and opened the box. "Alright, where is it?"

Popplio came out of the green hat box. "Here I am!"

"Where's what, Litten?" Rowlet asked.

"Don't 'Where's what, Litten?' me! Where's the tape recorder?"

"We don't have a tape recorder, Litten!"

"Don't 'We don't have a tape recorder, Litten!' me!"

"But we don't!"

"We have a tape recorder box."

Litten took the small rectangular box from Popplio and tossed it away. "Alright, make way you two, I'm coming in." He then got into the box.

"Welcome aboard, Litten! You've just set sail on the S.S...Imagination...where our only destination is fantastic adventure! Where do you want to go first?" Rowlet asked.

"No, no. Don't mind me, I'm here to observe."

"Litten, don't you see? Waiting and watching? That's not what the box is all about! It's about...imagination."

"Alright, fine! Take me to Robot Pirate Island! I wanna arm wrestle with cowboys on the moon! Just do it so I can get back and watch TV!"

"Okay, Litten! Robot Pirate island it is!" Rowlet and Popplio closed their eyes and began to make pirate and robot sounds. "For that you'll walk the plank!"

"Why won't this thing turn on?!" Litten angrily slammed the bottom of the box. "Alright, fine. If you don't want to show me, I don't care! I've got better things to do than pace the floor wondering how you two work this thing." Litten got out of the box and began to pace back and fourth. "How do those two work that thing? There's got to be a secret button or a switch or something! I mean, listen to that!" Realistic pirate and robot sounds came from the box. "Now, that sounds like Robot Pirate Island! Think, Litten, think! I got it, when those two go to bed, I'll sneak in there and find that button! I'll wait all night if I have to!"

* * *

Later that night, fireworks and cheering sounds came from the box, and then Rowlet and Popplio came out of the box and yawned. "I need to sleep to refuel my imagination tanks!"

"I still can't believe those pirates beat all those robots."

"Yeah, see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Popplio." Rowlet and Popplio then went inside their houses, and then Litten snuck out and tiptoed towards the box. He chuckled mischievously as he saw a piece of paper on the side of the box.

"Hello, what's this? 'This plaque is to commemorate the brave pirates who gave their lives to keep this box safe from the Robot Menace. Lest we forget...Oh!" Litten quickly tore up the paper. "I've got to find that button quick! It's got to be around here somewhere. I don't see anything! It's just an empty box! Maybe it really  _was_  their imagination. Oh...get it together, Litten! What are you saying? I mean, do I really believe that if I sit here and pretend to drive a race car that I'm suddenly going to start hearing noises?" Litten pushed his foot down on the box and the sound of an engine revving could be heard. "What the?" He then turned the imaginary key. "It actually works! I can't believe it! Oh, boy this beats TV by a long shot!" Litten laughed. "This is the most fun I've ever had!" It turned out the sounds were actually coming from a garbage truck, which lifted the box in with the other garbage.

Rowlet heard the sounds of Litten cheering in the distance. "Listen to that, Gary. Litten finally made the box work after all. That's so great."

The garbage truck began to drive away with Litten still in the box. "Only two more laps to the finish line! I'm in the lead! Out of my way! I'm almost there! Whoo-hoo-hoo! Victory is mine!" The garbage truck dumped out all of the trash and the box slid down the trash and hit something, causing Litten to tumble out and land face-first into a cherry pie. He groaned as the box fell on top of him.

* * *

The next morning, Rowlet and Popplio got out of their houses. "Hey, our box is gone!"

"Oh, well." Popplio shrugged.

"I know! Let's go see Litten!"

"I hope he's not too down in the dumps today."


	7. Wet Painters

A slow day at the Crusty Crabrawler.

"Hey Litten, check this out." Rowlet held up a patty in each hand. "Two ordinary Krabby Patties, but when expertly tossed with the skill of a champ, they become..." He threw them on the floor and Popplio slid on them across the room.

"A one-way ticket to pain!" Popplio slammed into the wall by Crabrawler's office and the window broke off the wall.

"Huh?"

"Heave-ho!" Rowlet slammed into the wall next to Popplio.

"What the devil fish is going on out here?! Time is money! And if you boys is wasting time, then you're wasting money! And that's just sick!"

"But we were performing a ritual to attract customers. And the only way the ritual can work is for us to get hurt. Real bad."

"What stupid barnacle told you that?"

"Uhh…" Litten nervously held up his magazine over his face.

"Listen, instead of killing yourselves, I've got something real important for you to do for me."

* * *

The three of them were now standing in front of Crabrawler's house. "Now, are you mons ready for your Super...?"

"Super?"

"Special...?"

"Special?"

"Secret...?"

"Secret?"

"Assignment?"

"Assignment?! I beg of you, Mr. Crabrawler!" Rowlet and Popplio screamed.

"The two of you are to paint the inside of me house!"

"Yeah!" Rowlet and Popplio jumped inside in excitement.

"But, let me give you two a warning. This here paint is absolutely permanent. It will never come off. So if I see even one drop on anything but wall, I'll have your rear ends cut off and mounted over me fireplace! So, have fun with the job." Crabrawler shut the door behind him as he left.

"Popplio?"

"Yeah, Rowlet?" They looked at Crabrawler's wall which was covered from top to bottom in memorabilia.

"Mr. Crabrawler sure has a lot of expensive treasures to drip paint on. Do you think we should take this stuff off the walls?"

"No way, Rowlet, we're not getting paid to move stuff."

"Popplio, we're not getting paid at all."

"Well that's what I said! We're not getting paid and that's final!"

"Ok, we'll just paint around all this stuff."

"Good, just don't pay me."

"First we need to set up the tarp."

"Tarp ahoy!" Popplio spread the tarp on the floor but it was very tiny.

"We're gonna need more coverage, Popplio."

* * *

There were now more pieces of tarp covering the floor. "Now that's what I'm talking about. Well, I guess we should open these cans of permanent paint now."

"That will never ever come off."

"And if we get it on anything, Mr. Crabrawler will cut our butts off."

"And mount them on the wall." Rowlet took out a screwdriver and tried to open the lid. "Careful, Rowlet. Careful, Rowlet. Rowlet, careful. Careful, Rowlet. Careful, Rowlet! Careful, Rowlet! Careful, Rowlet!" Popplio screamed.

"Popplio, the lid's already off."

"Oh. Now it's my turn!" Popplio took out a battle ax and hit the paint can with it.

"I'm thinking I should do this one too, Popplio!" Rowlet carefully opened up the lid and as soon as he did, a paint drop bounced on the tarp. The both of them screamed as the paint drop then bounced on every tarp and then back into the can.

"Well that was a rip-off."

"Okay Popplio, let's get our brushes ready." Rowlet held up a big brush. "Uhh, maybe we should start with a smaller brush." He threw the big brush to the right of him then takes another small brush, dipped it into the can of paint and then faced the wall. "Alright Popplio, gotta get started painting this wall. With the permanent paint that we're not allowed to get on anything but the wall. Well, here we go."

**One hour later...**

"Just a few more seconds of mental preparation and I'll be painting this wall."

**Two hours later...**

"I'm getting to the painting."

**Three hours later...**

"Can you move it along, I'm all out of time cards."

"No problem. Here I go." Rowlet made a line of paint going down the wall. The paint then started running down but he blew it one direction then another then another until he gets a blow dryer and blew the paint off the wall. "Yeah! Huh?" Rowlet noticed a big paint bubble floating in the room. "Barnacles! What could be worse than a giant paint bubble!?"

"Oh, I know!" Popplio dipped his snout in the paint can and snorted out a big bubble. "Two giant paint bubbles!"

"Noooooo!" The two giant paint bubbles merged into one. "Popplio?"

"Yeah, Rowlet?"

"I don't think this bubble can get much bigger!"

"Nonsense!" Popplio began to pump the bubble with a bicycle pump.

"Pop, no!" Rowlet yelled as the bubble popped, splattering paint all over the wall, covering it all up. "We did it! We painted the whole house and without getting a drop of paint on anything but the-Flappin' Flotsam! What's that?!" Rowlet noticed that the dollar on the wall had a tiny dot of paint on it and fell to the floor. "We're dead, Popplio! Do you know what that is?"

"Hmm... it's a dollar. I win!"

"That's not just a dollar. It's Mr. Crabrawler's first dollar! His most prized possession! And we got paint on it!"

"I think you are over-reacting Rowlet, I don't see any paint."

"Okay, this isn't a problem. Maybe I can just wipe it off." Rowlet tried to wipe the paint off with his wings. "There! I think I got it." He noticed that there was more paint on it and screamed.

"Oh, now I see it!"

"This is not good, Popplio! This is not good! Mr. Crabrawler is gonna be home soon, and when he sees what we did to his first dollar..." Rowlet imagined Crabrawler sitting by the fire with their butts on the wall and they both screamed.

"Wait, Rowlet, all we got to do is wash the paint off and Crabrawler will never know!"

"But Mr. Crabrawler said..."

"Forget what Mr. Crabrawler said! Every paint comes off with something!"

* * *

"Did it work?" Rowlet asked as Popplio came out from the washing machine with the dollar, which was still covered in paint.

"Nope."

Rowlet started sanding the dollar in Popplio's hand. "Did it work?"

"Nope."

Popplio screamed as Rowlet shot sulfuric acid out of a fire hose. "Did it work?"

"Nope." Rowlet whacked the dollar with several different weapons, but none of them seemed to be working.

"Nothing's working!"

"Wait, Rowlet! We're not cavemon! We have technology!" Popplio picked up the computer and angrily smashed it on the dollar.

"It didn't work."

"This is all Mr. Crabrawler's fault! If he hadn't hung that stupid dollar in the first place!...I mean, it's not like it looks any different than a regular dollar. Why hang it? You could just stick any old dollar bill on the wall, no one would even know the difference! You might as well reach in my wallet, pull out a dollar, and put it on the wall! And it would..."

"Hurry, Popplio, take out your wallet."

Popplio took out a dollar. "I don't see where you're going with this...hey, a dollar!"

"Our butts are saved, Popplio! Now all we have to...Popplio, no!" Rowlet noticed that Popplio was putting his dollar in a vending machine. "No...why'd you put it in the..." The dollar came out. "Grab it, Pop, grab it! Hurry, hurry!" Popplio pushed it back in. "Aww, Pop, no, no!" The dollar came out again. "Get it, Pop, get it, get it, get it!" Popplio pushed it back in again then walked up with a chocolate bar. "Oh, no-ho-oh!"

"Wanna bite?"

"Okay, okay, we still have time!" Rowlet looked in a mirror. "Don't panic Rowlet, panic is the enemy. You are strong. Through your strength, you shall overcome!" The sounds of footsteps could be heard from outside.

"You're on your own pal." Rowlet's reflection said as he walked away.

Rowlet screamed as he ran around in a panic. "Hurry Popplio, put Mr. Crabrawler's dollar back on the wall! I got an idea!"

Crabrawler entered his house where all of the lights were off. "What the?"

"We're all done, sir. Everything looks great." Rowlet stammered.

"Yeah, you don't have to look around. We already did that for you." Crabrawler turned on the lights and saw that Rowlet and Popplio were grinning suspiciously.

"You both look like you got a dirty little secret. Ha! I'm kidding. Let's see how you did. Oh, not bad boys, not bad. A nice even coat, high gloss, no bubbles."

"Yeah, looks great, Mr. Crabrawler. We'll just be going..." Rowlet began.

"Flippin' fish fossils! Look what you did!" Crabrawler suddenly exclaimed.

"Oh, Mr. Crabrawler, we're so sorry! Don't de-butt me! Don't de-butt me!" Rowlet begged.

"Mr. Crabrawler, I'm sorry! Have mercy! Have mercy!" Popplio begged.

"Sorry? You dusted all my knickknacks! That was really nice. Great Barrier Reef! What's this?"

"It's not our fault, Mr. Crabrawler!" Rowlet begged.

"We didn't do it on purpose!"

"Accident! Accident! Accident! Accident!" They both begged.

"I don't want to be butt-less!" Popplio begged.

"Oh, and I suppose the floor molding just painted itself on its own." The wall is decorated with tiny ships. "That's what I call craftsmanship. Criminy jim-jam! You messed up my dollar...rama!" Rowlet and Popplio were confused. "All the dolls in this dollarama were perfectly aligned!" Crabrawler straightened one of the dolls to an upright position.

"And you boys thought I wouldn't notice. Oh well, I guess no harm done. All right boys, you're free to go." Crabrawler suddenly ran into a long pile of paintings on the wall. "Ow! That's funny, I don't remember a stack of painting jutting from the wall where me first dollar used to be. In fact, I don't remember this painting at all." He took off a picture of a clown. "Or this one. Or this one." Rowlet and Popplio are shook as Crabrawler continued to take off the paintings. "Or this one. Or this one. Or this one. Or this one." He took off a painting of Tapu Koko where Rowlet was hanging behind it.

"Hi, Mr. Crabrawler."

"Rowlet, what are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, just hanging around."

"Boo!" Popplio shouted.

"Get down onto the floor, boy." Rowlet stretched his body down to the floor. "Alright, now you're just being silly." Crabrawler went over and took him off the wall.

"No, Mr. Crabrawler! No! Don't look, it's a trick!"

"Did you two get paint all over me first dollar?" Crabrawler asked angrily.

"We're sorry, Mr. Crabrawler!"

Crabrawler looked at the dollar again. "And then did you draw on it with crayon?!" The dollar had a smiley face and two dollar signs drawn on with green crayon.

"I thought, you know, maybe he'd buy it." Popplio shrugged, holding a green crayon.

"All right boys, you know what I've got to do now?"

"You're gonna cut our butts off?"

"Can I use mine one last time?" Popplio asked. Crabrawler took the dollar and licked it, causing all of the paint to come off.

"There we go, good as new."

"But, but, but, but, but, but, but, but..." Rowlet and Popplio stammered in shock and disbelief.

"Yeah, I lied. This paint actually comes off with saliva!" Crabrawler laughed.

"Oh, I get it, Mr. Crabrawler. You told us the paint was permanent so me and Popplio would be more careful and not get paint on anything!"

"Nah, I just like to mess with ya!" Crabrawler laughed. Rowlet and Popplio glared at him and they stormed out in disgust. Crabrawler started laughing so hard he spits all over the walls. "The old mon's still got it!" The paint then started to come off the wall from all the spit. "Aww, crud. I really gotta learn to say it, not spray it."


	8. Salandit!

"One Krabby Patty for table two. Rowlet, I don't have the whole day."

"Oui, oui. Un Krabby Patty, Monsieur. First, les patty." Rowlet flipped the patty up in the air and caught it as he held up the other ingredients.

"Come on, Rowlet!"

"Next, les ingredients." Rowlet threw all of the ingredients in the air and caught them. "Ah, oui!"

"Les quit fooling around, where's my Krabby Patty?"

"Les hold on a second!" Rowlet went up to Litten and pulled a Krabby Patty from behind his ear. "It's behind your ear!"

"You're killing me Rowlet! Ha ha ha...you really are."

"Look at it, Litten. Mr. Crabrawler's gift to all of the Alola region, the Krabby Patty.."

"Okay, give it to me." The Krabby Patty suddenly jumped off of the plate and starts bouncing everywhere. "Come on Rowlet, stop it!"

"I swear I'm not doing anything. Mr. Crabrawler! The Krabby Patty is haunted!" The patty was about to head towards the front door until Crabrawler speared it with his leg.

"Avast, ye patty pirate! This is no ghost. This is..." Crabrawler looked to see that it was a small black lizard. "Salandit! Stealing me booty!"

"Hear me Crabrawler. When I discover your formula for Krabby Patties, I'll run you out of business. I went to college!" Crabrawler picked up the little pest. "Hey! Let me go!"

"Oh I'll let you go, squirt. On a flying saucer!" Crabrawler laughed he splat Salandit on a plate and spun him across the street. "Back to the Chum Bucket with you!"

"You'll pay for this Crabrawler!" Salandit shouted as he slammed through the doors.

"Uh...Salandit, sir?" Rowlet asked.

"Aye, he's been trying to steal me secret formula for years. But you haven't got it yet, have ye bug?" Crabrawler laughed and Rowlet laughed with him. "Okay. Enough lad, it wasn't that funny." Crabrawler said seriously, but Rowlet kept laughing. "Get back to work!"

* * *

"Okay Mr. Crabrawler, see you tomorrow!"

"Good night, me boy!" Rowlet walked out of the restaurant and passed by the Chum Bucket contently.

"Psst...young mon." Rowlet looked around to see where that voice came from. "Yes, over here. Come on boy, a little closer." He walks forward to the direction of the voice. "Closer..." Rowlet looked to see that it was Salandit. "Hi."

"Salandit? What do you want?"

"I just want to talk. You could say we're friends, right?"

"Um...no."

"Acquaintances?"

"No."

"Well, we're both Pokémon, aren't we?"

"I...guess so."

"You see? Everything works out. I have something for you. I've been keeping it in my secret compartment." Salandit rummaged through his back pocket and took out a golden spatula. "Ding! Sparkle, sparkle."

"Wow! A golden spatula! And its even got my name on it."

"It's a gift! A gift from a friend. Friends give each other gifts. And tomorrow is my birthday. And you know what I'd like more than anything in the whole wide world?"

"A booster seat?"

"Booster seat? Hot dog! I mean, no. What I want for my birthday from you my friend, is one of those tender...delicious...Krabby Patties!"

Rowlet screamed. "You just want to be friends so you can get your hands on a Krabby Patty! And I bet it's not even your birthday tomorrow."

"Gee, and I thought you were stupid."

"You'll never get a Krabby Patty from me!" Rowlet walked off and then stopped. "Even if we are friends! Never, never, never, never!"

"Oh, I'll get a Krabby Patty and you're gonna hand-deliver it to me personally! You weak-minded fool!" Salandit took out a gramophone and it played evil music and laughed evilly to it.

* * *

"Good night Gary." As Rowlet went to sleep, someone snuck into his treehouse. It was Salandit, wearing something that resembled a backpack.

"Rowlet, you will be mine!" Salandit chuckled as he pulled out the record player and laughs evilly to it.

"Letters of the alphabet, A-B-C..." He quickly fliped the record around and it played evil music and he laughed to it. Salandit then took off the backpack and placed it on Rowlet's head. "Yes, yes, that's grand. And now, for my very elaborate and college-educated plan. And now it's time for a little wakey-uppy." Salandit got on top of the control and stepped on the button and Rowlet woke up.

"Morning already?" jammed the controls which cause to rumble and fall down. "I... I feel a little funny today." Salandit made Rowlet walk using the controls.

"I have you now!"

"Time for a well-balanced breakfast." Rowlet rammed through the wall and through the fridge, emerging with bread, a bottle of milk and an egg carton on his head. "This isn't what I had in mind." He crashed through the side of the wall. "I guess I'm not using the door. See you later Gary! ...I guess. You're right, Gary! There is something wrong with me! Litten! Litten! Wake up! I need some help! Litten! Help!"

"Be quiet, Rowlet!" Litten snapped when Rowlet suddenly burst through the wall of his house.

"Help!"

"Rowlet! What are you doing? I'm talking to you! Rowlet! Rowlet, are you mad?" Rowlet crashed through the opposite wall and then stopped and turned his head 180 degrees.

"Shut your mouth, you mediocre Pokéflute player." Salandit spoke through Rowlet.

"Mediocre?"

"You pretentious little insignificant artist. Your snivelly creations are worth less than a protozoan's waste!"

Rowlet quickly snapped out of it. "Something must be wrong with my head!" He looked to the back of his head and gasped when he saw Salandit. "Salandit! What kind of friend are you?"

"Nonsense. You never liked me anyway. You wouldn't even come to my birthday party!"

"Get off of my head! Leave my head alone! Never! Never!" Rowlet laughed evily and walked out backwards as Litten fainted. He walked right through a lake and emerged with Popplio on his head. He threw him off and started to walk towards the Crusty Crabrawler.

"Toot toot! How about a little take-out?"

"No, never!" Rowlet crashed through the and came out with a Krabby Patty. "You can't fool me Salandit, you want the Krabby Patty secret formula!"

"You are going to hand-deliver it to me personally!"

"No, no, no!" Rowlet walked through the door to the Chum Bucket. "There's no one here."

"Don't remind me. Brace yourself Rowlet, this is my lab!" Rowlet walked into a room with a screen of a live-action Labrador retriever. They then walked into the next room, which was a real lab. "And this is my laboratory! And did I ever show you my record player?" Salandit pulled out the record player and laughed to the dramatic music.

"I must fight!" Rowlet bit against the side of the door while his body kept trying to walk.

"No, no, no, no." Salandit pushed the levers forward which caused Rowlet to lose grip and slam against the wall towards a giant funnel. "There, you see how much easier it is when you help, friend? How do you like my analyzer? It tells the ingredients of whatever I put into it." A robot arm dropped some seaweed into the giant funnel analyzer, where it was zapped and it disappeared.

"Seaweed: 50% Sea, 50% Weed." A computer said as a picture of the seaweed appears.

"Impressed? Now let's reveal that secret formula." Salandit laughed as he pulled the lever forward, letting two of Rowlet's fingers let go of the patty. "And this little piggy brought home a Krabby Patty. This little piggy will help me drop it in. Any last words, Rowlet?"

Rowlet tried to resist, but stopped. "I just have to say I'm sorry I let Mr. Crabrawler down." His eyes started to tear up. "I let all of Alola down. But worst of all, I let you down, you delicate little Krabby Patty."

"Mmm..."

"With your tasty, juicy, scrumptious, warm, steamy goodness."

"Steamy..."

"I'll never forget your 100% all-secret patty, secretly assembled with cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, all secretly steamed between two fluffy buns.

Salandit started to drool excessively. "Yes...yes...yes! Come to papa!" He jumped off Rowlet's head and landed in the analyzer. "Oh boy..." He then got zapped and disappeared.

"Salandit: 1% evil, 99% hot gas." The computer said as Salandit appeared on the screen.

"Well, this stinks."

"Well patty, I guess we can go home now." Rowlet walked out of the doors.

"Rowlet, that's my Krabby Patty! Give it back, you ruffled freak! I command you! My patty! Nooooo! I'll settle for some fries."


	9. Prehibernation Week

"There we go!" Emolga said as she raked a pile of leaves in the shape of the Unova region. "Rowlet, I got all the leaves ra-" She stepped on piles of leaves still lying on the ground. "Rowlet, what are all these leaves doing here? You said you were going to rake them!"

"I am raking the leaves."

"But they're still all over the ground!"

"Emolga, I can't rake any faster." Rowlet picked up a leaf and started scraping it with a tiny rake. "These are big leaves. And they keep breaking into more leaves."

"Then go scrape the salt lick or somethin'! We got to get this stuff done before it's too late!"

"What's the big rush anyway, Emolga?"

"I told ya, Rowlet. I'm hibernating next week.

"Hibernating? What's that?"

"It's when I go to sleep for the whole winter." Emolga explained as she painted a fence.

"Can I do that?"

Emolga chuckled. "No, silly. It's a mammalian thing."

"Emolga, you may not have noticed, but I is 100% ma-male."

"Enough chitter-chatter, Rowlet. We don't have much time left!"

"Why, Emolga? When does your...'carburation' begin?"

"In one week!"

"But Emolga, that only gives us 1, 2, 3..." Rowlet gasped. "168 more hours of playtime!"

"You're telling me. And there's still so much stuff to do! We gotta climb some things!"

"Climb!"

"We gotta jump off of stuff!"

"Jump!"

"We gotta ride!"

"Ride!"

"I don't wanna go to sleep yet!"

"Wait Emolga!"

"I can't burn carbs in my sleep!" Emolga cried.

"Emolga?"

"What?!"

"Emolga, I'm willing to sacrifice any of my time that I haven't already sold to Mr. Crabrawler to you."

"Well I'm glad, Rowlet, 'cause for the next seven days, it's gonna be you, me, and these sweatbands!"

* * *

At the very top of Mount Lanakila, Rowlet and Emolga were preparing to slide down. "Yee-ha!" Emolga started to slide down the mountain so fast she got on fire. She rode past a man with a backpack, causing him to drop to the ground and roll around from the fire. Emolga then rode past a man and a woman, and after she zipped past them, the woman was now wearing a jogging outfit and the man was riding a tricycle and holding a lollipop and paddleball.

"Uh...I can explain."

Emolga then flipped in mid-air while still on fire. "I'm hotter than a hickory-smoked sausage! Woo-hoo!" Rowlet then started riding down the mountain while two kids were building a snowman.

"Maybe, if we sing that song, he'll come to life."

"Ready?"

"Oh, there once was a snowmon..." The two kids sang until Rowlet rode right into the snowman.

"Life's as extreme as you want to make it! Whoo!"

"Maybe we didn't sing it right."

Rowlet flew towards the ground and then landed hard. "Yeah."

* * *

"Whew, what a workout." Rowlet pulled out his right wing to show its damage. "I'm going to be feeling this tomorrow." His wing fell to the ground. "Ow."

"I got to say, I'm impressed with you, Rowlet. You're making this the best pre-hibernation week ever."

"Well, I'd better get home before Gary chews up the sofa again." Rowlet sighed as he lifted up his legs to move over to his house. Eventually, he made it home and crawled into bed. "Good night Gary." Rowlet then fell asleep and Emolga pushed a button which launched him out of his bed and into an ice cold lake.

"Nothing like a refreshing morning dip, huh, Rowlet?"

"W-What h-happened to s-sleeping?"

"I'll be asleep all winter! We only got three days for fun. Well hurry now! The giant Basculin like to feed at this hour!"

* * *

Rowlet was lifting a bowling ball into a tube. Emolga then blew her whistle and he quickly ran to the end and picked up a few jacks before the bowling ball hit him on the head. "Isn't this great?" Emolga asked.

Yeah! I've never played extreme jacks before!"

* * *

"Okay Rowlet, this one's going to be fun. We just whack each other with these giant ear cleaners 'til one of us falls off. On your mark... get set..."

"Emolga, are you sure we're supposed to be standing up here?"

"Go!" Emolga hit Rowlet off the tall building they were standing on and he landed on a fire hydrant. Emolga then rode up on a two-seated bike. "Come on, Rowlet. We're goin' for a tandem ride through the park!"

"Gee, that sounds safe! I mean, fun." Rowlet got up and jumped on the bike. "Okay, I'm ready! I thought you said we were riding through the park, Emolga!"

"I did, Rowlet, the industrial park!" Emolga rode into a giant factory and pedaled on barbed wire. "This is where the real action is! This part gets pretty technical! Yee-haw! Now for the speed course. Hold on!" They rode through a conveyor belt with a giant crunching mouth at the end. "I hope we make it!" They managed to jump over the crunching mouth and Rowlet screamed as they began to fall to the ground fast. "I'm havin' fun, too!" They then hit the ground, and Rowlet collapsed to the ground as Emolga tossed a fishing rod at him. "Wake up, Slowpoke. We're going fly-fishing."

_*Ba Dum Tsshh*_

_'This squirrel's trying to kill me! Any more of these stunts and I'll be reduced to a puddle! Wait a minute, I've got to talk my way out of this!'_  Rowlet thought. "Emolga, I think I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Well, it's just that I'm feeling sort of...I just feel like maybe I need to..."

"Hold that thought, Rowlet! 'Cause it's time for a down-home favorite! Find the hay in the needle stack!" Emolga threw a piece of hay into a giant pile of needles, and her and Rowlet went inside to look for it. "Did you find it?"

"Not yet."

"Well I'm going to look over here."

"You do that." Rowlet dug a hole underground and emerged away from the needle stack.

"Found it, Rowlet!" Emolga called out, and Rowlet began to run away. "Come on. Best two out of three."

"Gotta hide! Gotta hide!" Rowlet looked at his house. "Home? No. Gary can't keep a secret." He then looked at Popplio's rock in the lake. "Under a rock? It's so original!" Rowlet jumped into the lake and hid under the rock.

"Rowlet?! Rowlet? Where are you, little round dude?" Emolga looked to see several feathers on the ground gasped. "Rowlet's tie! But...but...he always grooms his feathers before running around in the nude! Something terrible must have happened to him!"

* * *

Emolga quickly burst into the Crusty Crabrawler. "Alright, listen up, y'all! I'm rounding up a search party! Rowlet's gone missing!" Litten smiled at Crabrawler, who only gave him an angry look.

"Man the lifeboats!" Crabrawler announced, causing Litten to frown.

"Alpha Team, you search uptown. Gold Team searches downtown. Any questions?"

"Gold Team rules!" A Machoke cheered.

"Now get movin'!"

Every Pokémon in town began to search for Rowlet, looking through every nook and cranny they could find.

"Status report!"

"He's not at the Mareanie cove." An Electabuzz reported, his body covered in poison spikes.

"Well, look again!"

"He's not at the Morelull farm." A Chansey reported, completely covered in spores.

"Well, look again!"

"He's not in my thoughts." Litten said.

"Well, think again!"

* * *

"Attention Melemele Island, the time has come to double, no, triple our efforts!" Emolga spoke through a megaphone.

"How about a break?!" Litten asked. "We've been at it for days!"

"Think about the children!"

"That's a good idea! Use the children to crawl into small places you couldn't normally reach."

"This is a load of barnacles."

"I heard that! No one's going anywhere until we find Rowlet!"

"Uh...wait! Uh, here he is!" A Machoke then held up a Ditto.

"That ain't Rowlet! Rowlet is round!

The Ditto then transformed into Rowlet. "I'm ready! I'm ready!"

"No you ain't!"

"I found Hoothoot!"

"That's just a ball. Besides, he's brown."

A Poliwhirl then held up a coconut. "Uh...here he is! Hey, can I go home now?"

"Oh, look! He's up in the sky!"

Emolga looked up, but didn't see Rowlet. "He's not...huh?" She then saw that everyone was gone. "They must have gone to search some more." Emolga continued to search for Rowlet, but she couldn't find him anywhere. "Rowlet, where are you?!" Everyone watched from under a rock in a lake.

"That squirrel's gone crazy!"

"But she'll never look under a rock."

"You said it! Emolga'll never find us!" Everyone glared at Rowlet and then threw him out. "Hey wait, you don't understand!"

Litten popped out from under the rock. "Oh look, it is I, Rowlet, out here in the open."

Emolga quickly turned around. "Rowlet?"

Rowlet screamed in horror. "C'mon, let me back in! You don't understand!"

Emolga grabbed Rowlet and hugged him tight. "Oh, Rowlet, I was so worried! I thought something terrible happened! Come on. There's just enough time to go atom smashing." She started to run but Rowlet wasn't moving.

"Emolga, wait!"

"There's no time to wait! Hibernation!"

"Emolga, you've got to make time! This is important!" Emolga let go of Rowlet's wing. I...am a man! Okay Emolga, I...I...I...I...I can't play with you anymore! I just can't take the games! They're tearing me apart! There, I said it! Now just promise we can still be friends. Please, Emolga? This isn't easy, I...Emolga?" Rowlet noticed that Emolga was asleep. "I never thought I'd say it, but thank Arceus for hibernation!" Rowlet laughed and fell asleep, and right at that moment, Popplio came back home with some groceries and an ice cream.

"Who are you people?!"


	10. Snowball Effect

Ah, observe the majesty of the mighty Articuno. This frozen bird, normally found flying in polar regions, can sometimes stray towards warmer regions, causing dramatic changes in climate for tropical life.

"Yes, it seems Old Man Articuno paid us a visit late last night, and he brought with him not a pillow or a sheet, but a blanket...a blanket of snow! Yes, from Melemele Meadow, to residential abodes, to bustling downtown...it's nothing but the white stuff."

"Whoopee!" Rowlet cheered as he and his Caterpie put on Santa hats.

"And local residents are taking notice!"

Many humans and Pokémon played outside in the snow, making snow sculptures and having snowball fights. It definitely wasn't everyday that it would snow in a tropical region like Alola.

"What's this? Drops of rain frozen into ice crystals? I shall harness their energy and rule the world!" Salandit laughed evilly, when a bunch of snow fell on top of him. "Ahh...oh, stop! I wish to rule you!"

"Snow angel!" Popplio laughed as he lay on the ground flapping his arms. He stood up and looked behind him to see a circle in the snow. "Oh..." A snowball suddenly hit Popplio in the side of the head. "Hey!" He looked over to Rowlet, who just stood there whistling. "Thanks a lot, Rowlet! While you were just standing there whistling, someone threw a snowball at me!"

"Oh really, Popplio? Did the snowball look like this?" Rowlet threw another snowball at Popplio, hitting him right on the nose.

"Yeah." Rowlet laughed as Popplio ran over to him. "This is serious, Rowlet. Someone's after me. I think I better leave town."

"Popplio, I threw it. We're having a snowball fight. Don't you get it?"

"Snowball fight? I want to play! I want to play!"

"Well, first, you have to make a snowball."

"Oh, yeah. A snowball. Oh, this is gonna be great!" Popplio tried to make a snowball but ended up making a cube. "Huh?" He tried to make another snowball but made a rectangular pyramid and DNA. "Aw! Rowlet, could you help me make a snowball?"

"Sure, pal." Rowlet made a snowball and handed it to Popplio.

"Thanks, buddy." Popplio threw the snowball at Rowlet.

"Popplio! How could you?"

"It's a snowball fight, remember?"

"Oh yeah." They stared at each other and then ran back to their forts made out of snow and started to throw snowballs at each other. Meanwhile, Litten was inside his house sitting by the fire.

"Ah, yes. Warm fire, cozy slippers, and a piping hot cup of tea with a lemon wedge." Litten picked up the lemon wedge and ended up squirting lemon juice in his eye. "Why do I even bother?" There was banging from outside, and he looked to see Rowlet and Popplio building snow forts. "Would you two please keep it down?!"

"Litten! You're just in time to enlist in my army! Join me, and together we'll defeat the Blue Menace!"

"That's me!"

"I can start you off as a buck private, but with hard work, perhaps you can rise through the ranks and become a regular private!"

"Thanks, but no, thanks, Major Stupidity. You and General Nonsense over there will have to fight without me." Litten snickered. "Got 'em both." He noticed a snowball flying at him and he ducked just in time as the snowball put out the fire. Litten growled and closed his window.

"Popplio, you fool! This was over before it started! I will now consider your unconditional surren-" A snowball hit Rowlet in the face, sending him into the snow. "-der." Popplio laughed hysterically. "So that's how he wants it to go down." Rowlet then got up and covered his whole body in snow, and then jumped up and spun around rapidly and began to fire snowballs at Popplio very fast.

"Huh?" The snowballs then hit Popplio, and he stood up to reveal that they were lined up on his forehead. "Ha! You missed me!" Rowlet began to shoot more snow into his mouth. Popplio managed to swallow the snowballs and blew out cold breath, but then Rowlet began to fire more snowballs into his mouth and they got stuck.

"Score one for the boys back home!"

There was a knock on Litten's door, and he went over and opened it to see Popplio choking on snow. "Yes? Oh, Popplio. What an unpleasant surprise. Oh, boy, nothing like a game of charades."

Popplio then swallowed the snow and spoke in one breath. "I was trying to tell you that I was choking on snow, but the snow melted and turned into water, and I drank all the water, now I'm better."

"Fascinating." Litten slammed the door. "Now, where was I?" There was a knock on the door again, and Litten opened it to see Popplio dancing around. "What?"

"Can I use your bathroom?"

"Popplio, go use your own bathroom."

"I don't think I can make it! Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"PLEASE!"

"Okay, make it quick."

Popplio paused for a moment. "That's okay."

"Aha! Aiding the enemy! I've caught you red-handed, Litten!"

"Look Rowlet, I was just..." Rowlet threw a snowball at Litten but he ducked and it landed in the fire and put it out again. "Rowlet! Oh..." Litten picked up a snowball and Rowlet shrieked.

"Yay! Litten's on my side!" Popplio cheered.

"I most certainly am not!"

"Then that means he's on my side!"

"No, Rowlet, I'm not on your side either. I'm on nobody's side. Snowball fights are for immature children and I will not stoop to your level. If you two want to knock each other's brains out with snowballs, kindly leave me out of it." Litten walked back inside and slammed the door.

"Come on, Rowlet, let's go knock each other's brains out!"

"I'm ready!"

"Hmm..." Litten imagined Popplio throwing a snowball at Rowlet, knocking his brain out.

"Okay Popplio, it's out."

Litten snickered. "Now there's something I'd actually like to see!" He took a chair up to one of his windows. "Nothing wrong with getting a front-row seat, I suppose. Ahh. What's this?" Litten looked to see Rowlet and Popplio shaking hands. "Wha...I...no!" He walked back outside. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be knocking each other's brains out!"

"We signed a peace treaty, Litten." Rowlet answered as Popplio showed the treaty. "You were right, fighting is for children."

"No, no, no, I misled you, it's for adults too! Give me that peace treaty!" Litten took the treaty and ripped it into pieces. "There! Let the war continue!"

"Litten, that wasn't the peace treaty. That was a copy of the peace treaty."

"Look, you two are giving up too easily. Now, Popplio, pretend I'm Rowlet."

"And who am I?"

"You're Popplio."

"Can I be Mr. Crabrawler?" Rowlet asked.

"No! Wait, why?"

"He's a good leader."

"Would you butt out?!"

"Hey, you can't talk to Mr. Crabrawler like that, Litten!"

"I'm Rowlet! You're Popplio!" Litten threw a snowball at Popplio's face. "Now, what are you going to do?" Popplio threw the snowball back at Litten. "Popplio, why didn't you hit Rowlet?"

"You said you were Rowlet, Rowlet."

"Argh! It's true, Mr. Litten! Now get back to work!"

"Oh, boy. All right, I can see where this is going. Let's just say for all intents and purposes that I, Litten, am now part in this war. Now..."

"If you're in this war, then where's your fort?" Rowlet asked.

"I don't have one, okay? Now..."

"You got to have a fort, Litten." Popplio pointed out.

"Forts win wars, Litten."

Litten growled. "Okay, fine? You want a fort?" He made a small snow fort. "There. There's your fort! Now..."

"That fort's too small, Litten."

"It's okay, Popplio. It's just a demonstration. Now..."

"He's right, Litten. That thing would never protect you. It's downright puny."

"Trust me, it's fine." Popplio threw a snowball at Litten, and he wiped the snow off his face.

"See, it is too small."

"Not if I crouch down. I mean, you didn't even give me a chance to crouch down." Litten then crouched down from behind the fort. "See? Down here, I am perfectly..." Popplio threw another snowball at him.

"Exposed." Rowlet finished.

"Would you two please..." Popplio threw a snowball at Litten. "...stop throwing..." He threw a snowball at him again. "...snowballs?!" Popplio paused and then threw another snowball at Litten. He growled and retaliated with a snowball of his own but it put out his fireplace again.

Rowlet gasped. "Litten returned fire!"

"Then it's war!"

"No-no...no, wait, wait, wait! I was just giving a demonstration!" Litten crouched down behind his snow fort as Rowlet and Popplio threw lots of snowballs at him. He ended up looking like a snowman from all the snowballs that hit him and a hat then fell on his head. Litten growled and broke out of the snowman. "All right, that's it! You guys asked for it!" He threw a snowball at Rowlet and hit him. "I got him! Ha! I got him! In your face, Rowlet!" Litten laughed. "This was actually kind of...exciting! Why...I've never felt so alive!"

Popplio laughed. "He got you good, Rowlet!" Litten threw a snowball at him and then he began to throw lots of snowballs at the two of them. "Take cover!" They crouched down as Litten continued to throw snowballs.

"Take that...I got you...Yeah...oh, I got you...oh, take that...Whoa, I got you that time...Oh yeah..." Litten started to throw snowballs rapidly while laughing. "Incoming!" Rowlet looked up and Popplio approached him, showing that his nose was frozen.

"Hey, Rowlet?"

"Yes, Popplio?"

"I think Litten's taking this really seriously. That last one had his Pokéflute in it."

"Hmm...looks like it's time for Plan B." They both tiptoed away while Litten continued to throw snowballs. He eventually stopped and started panting.

"What's going on? The snowballs have stopped falling. I better take advantage of this momentary cease-fire." Litten noticed his fort was a little lopsided and gasped. "What? My left flank is exposed? That bloated sea lion is gonna run right through me!" He grabbed more snow and patted it down. "I'll just fix that right now. Wait, that makes my north wall a weak spot! Here we go! Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Oh, oh, oh! But if they attack from the rear, I'm a goner! There...Ha-ha!" Litten gasped. "But what about the possibility of an aerial attack!" He started digging more snow onto his fort until it almost reached the top of a tree. "I guess that ought to do it! Fort Litten is now all but impenetrable! Now, where are those fools? Snow fell on Litten's head. "Ha! The first shot has been fired! Take thi! Taste my frozen fury! Victory is mine! Whee! Ha-ha! Well, I got you now!" Litten continued to throw snowballs while Rowlet and Popplio were watching TV and sipping some cocoa.

"Did you hear something, Popplio?"

"Nope."


	11. Survival of the Idiots

Rowlet and Popplio ran down the road jumping up and down in excitement and hollering excitedly, and the suddenly stopped when they saw Emolga's house enclosed with metal walls with a "Keep Out" sign.

"Hey Emolga, what's with the sign?" Rowlet asked as he and Popplio went inside.

"Look, she's on the Eating Channel." Popplio pointed to a TV where Emolga was stuffing her face with berries.

"Howdy! If y'all are watching this, that means I'm asleep for the winter. This sleep is called hibernation. During hibernation, Pokémon don't like to be woken up, so do not disturb. That means you, Rowlet." Emolga said that last sentence sternly and Popplio turned off the TV.

"We better go in there."

"Never mind, Popplio. Emolga said not to come in. Let's am-scray."

"When are you gonna learn, Rowlet? No means yes!" Popplio pressed the button to the entrance of the treedome.

"Popplio listen, how many times do we have to-"

"Rowlet, look at this!"

Rowlet gasped when he looked at what was inside. The inside of the treedome was entirely covered in a blanket of white. "What is this stuff?"

"It's a vast, swirling wonderland of sparkling white pleasure. Let it fill your senses with cascading, fluffy pillows of excitement and comfort as you've never felt before."

"Wow, Popplio, that was beautiful!"

"What, I was just reading this candy bar wrapper, see?" Rowlet and Popplio cheered and they began to play in the snow when the suddenly heard a strange sound. "Rowlet, did you hear that?"

"I think it came from Emolga's tree."

"That is one tired tree."

"Let's check it out." Rowlet and Pooplio went inside Emolga's tree and they both gasped. "Look what's in Emolga's bed!" The two of them went over to the bed where a squirrel-like monster was sleeping on it.

"Looks like an over-inflated Emolga doll!"

"I think this thing is Emolga."

"Hibernation must mean the opposite of beauty sleep."

Emolga snored and started talking in her sleep. "I've had enough of your dastardly deeds, Dirty Dan. I'm gonna get you and your partner, Pinhead Larry or my name ain't Sheriff...Emolga..."

Rowlet giggled. "She must be dreaming about Unova outlaws." The two then giggled. "Look out Emolga, I'm Dirty Dan."

"I'm gonna catch you and throw you in jail at taxpayers' expense."

"Oh, you better run faster, Emolga."

"Yeah! I'm getting away! Faster!" Popplio giggled as Emolga began to move her arms and legs.

"Hurry, we're getting in a taxi!"

"Faster, faster!" Rowlet and Popplio giggled.

"I'll get you two. You're nothing but pure evil! Just like newspaper comics..." Emolga snored off to sleep, and Rowlet and Popplio giggled again.

"Come on, Popplio. We shouldn't disturb her anymore."

"That's not disturbing. This is disturbing!" Popplio struggled to create a talking face from his back. "Hi there, Rowlet. My name is Popback."

"Ha! That is really disturbing!" Rowlet and Popplio began to laugh uncontrollably, causing Emolga's eyes to shoot open and she got up from her bed. Popplio stopped laughing upon seeing the giant monster in front of them.

"Uh, Rowlet?"

"Huh?" Rowlet stopped laughing and was that Emolga was really steaming, and before the two of them could run, she grabbed them by their tails and lifted them up into the air.

"Faster, Rowlet! She's gaining on us!"

"Emolga! No! Stop!" Rowlet cried out in pain.

"I warned ya, Dirty Dan! Now, you've just crossed the border into Hurtville!"

"Emolga, it's us, your friends! Rowlet and Popplio!"

"Gonna skin y'all and make a pair of size six...boots..." Emolga then dropped Rowlet and Popplio and fell back onto her bed asleep.

"Whew, we sure don't want to wake her up again. Too bad we don't have any earplugs to put on her."

"Yeah, all I got is this bellybutton lint." Popplio took out some lint and it formed into the shape of earmuffs.

"Alright, Popplio!" Rowlet took the earmuffs and crawled over to the bed, putting them on Emolga.

"I'm gonna rip your arms off and...flapjacks..." Emolga snored.

"Well, that oughta work."

"Hey Emolga, does it work?" Popplio asked loudly. Emolga didn't wake up, and Rowlet and Popplio looked at each other and raised their eyebrows repeatedly.

"Hey Emolga, if you can't hear us, don't say anything!"

"Hey, Emolga! Don't wake up!" The two giggled, and then Rowlet put a megaphone up to Emolga's head and yelled into it.

"See ya later, Sheriff Emolga!" Rowlet laughed, and he and Popplio ran out into the snow and began to act like outlaws. "You're under arrest!"

"You'll never catch me!" Popplio giggled as he made a snowball and threw it at Rowlet's face. They both laughed and Popplio started to make another snowball, but he was hit by a giant mound of snow. Rowlet laughed as he stood on a giant snow cannon. "Hey that's not fair! Cowboys couldn't afford cannons."

"They couldn't afford station wagons either!" Rowlet shot Popplio with a giant snowball shaped like a station wagon.

"Nice paneling."

"Alright, Pinhead. Your time is up!"

"Who you callin' Pinhead?" Popplio asked with a weird look on his face. "I want to be Dirty Dan!"

"What makes you think you can be Dirty Dan?"

"I'm dirty." Popplio got hit on the head by a giant snow shovel that Rowlet was holding.

"I say I'm Dirty Dan." Popplio ran off and returned with a giant bat with a nail in it made of snow.

"I say I'm Dirty Dan!" Popplio whacked Rowlet with the bat.

Rowlet whacked Popplio with the snow shovel again. "I say I'm Dirty Dan!" The two of them began to whack each other repeatedly, and the impacts of their blows caused the earmuffs on Emolga's ears to fall off. She then heard Rowlet and Popplio whacking each other while debating on who was Dirty Dan, and her eyes snapped open.

"I'm Dirty Dan." Rowlet saw something behind Popplio and screamed in terror. "Screaming will get you no-" A hand then reached out and ripped off the top of Popplio's head. Emolga was right behind him with sharp teeth and growling.

"Which one of you fellers is the  _real_  Dirty Dan?!"

"Uh...I am?" Emolga suddenly backhanded Popplio and sent him flying across the dome and he slammed against a wall.

"Popplio!"

"Hot wings!"

"Okay, Pinhead Larry, now you get yours!" Rowlet screamed and quickly ran away right before Emolga's fist obliterated where he was.  _ **"PINHEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!"**_  she roared and began to chase after him. Rowlet noticed that we wasn't getting very far, and he was right in front of Emolga on the exercise wheel. He slipped and got flung across the wheel and he flew off and slammed into the picnic table, leaving a giant crater in its place. "Now you're gonna pay for those crimes, Pinhead!"

Rowlet quickly picked up a wood board. "Emolga, stay back. I'm warning ya!" Emolga then roared right in his face. "Okay, I warned ya!" Rowlet threw the wooden board, and just then Popplio popped his head up.

"Did you win?" Popplio got hit by the board and he rolled down the crater to Rowlet's feet. "Hi, Rowlet!" Emolga then growled and jumped into the crater right towards them. Rowlet and Popplio held onto each other in fear as she began to brutally attack them.

(Line Break)

Later that night, two gravestones were in front of Emolga's house, and Rowlet and Popplio came up from under the graves.

"Okay Rowlet, you can be Dirty Dan. I just wanna be Popplio!"

"Let's get out of here before Emolga wakes up again!" The two ran over to the door and Rowlet tried to open it, but his hands slipped off and he accidentally hit Popplio in the face.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry Popplio, but the door is slippery! It's frozen shut!"

"Let me have a try." Popplio went up to the door and spits on both hands, preparing to open the door. "Open sesame!" Nothing happened, and he shrugged. "Well, I've done all I can do."

"Then we're stuck in here...until the door thaws...in spring."

"Barnacles." Much later, Popplio and Rowlet were completely buried in snow, shivering and blue. "Is it spring yet?"

"N-n-n-no."

"I-I'm so cold that I'm shivering."

"I-I'm so cold that I can use my frozen feathers as a pair of chopsticks!"

"I-I'm so cold that...I'm shivering!"

"Maybe we should build a fire. I got it! We'll burn the bark from Emolga's tree!" Rowlet went over to the tree and tried to pull off a strip of bark.

"You're gonna be wearing an iron lung when I'm through with you, Pinhead!" Emolga's voice boomed, and Rowlet quickly put the strip back on and taped it.

"The fire's not gonna happen, Popplio. I don't get it! How does Emolga survive these intense conditions every year?"

"Maybe she just ignores it."

"Maybe?"

"Maybe?"

"Maybe it's her fur!"

"Yeah!" Rowlet and Popplio went inside the tree where they marveled at Emolga's fur.

"Look at all that warm, toasty fur!"

"It's like a gold mine, but with fur."

"Carefully...carefully..." Rowlet slowly began to pluck fur off of Emolga when Popplio smacked him.

"Come on, do it! I'm freezing here!"

"Alright, alright, hang on a second!" Rowlet plucked one hair off and Emolga jumped up and roars ferociously before going back to sleep. "That should be enough, right?"

"Rowlet, I'm a big mon. A big, BIG mon!

"Well, I guess I've lived a full life!" Rowlet plucked one more hair, and Emolga roared again.

"This is taking too long! I want the warm NOW!" Popplio took a piece of tape and put it on Emolga.

"Popplio, no!" Popplio ripped off a patch of Emolga's fur off with the tape, and she roared again. "Popplio, are you crazy?!"

"No, I'm warm."

"Let me see that roll of tape." Rowlet and Popplio began to rip out Emolga's fur while she roared. Later, the two of them were completely covered with fur.

"Man, that fur really hits the spot! No more frozen armpits."

"And this eyebrow/goatee combo works like a charm. This is the best idea we've ever had."

"You said it!"

"I'm ready for the longest, coldest winter ever!"

"Bring it on!" Rowlet and Popplio shouted, and then the snow suddenly stopped and melted as flowers bloomed.

Emolga yawned. "Wow, spring already?"

Rowlet and Popplio quickly ran to the door which was still frozen. "Tartar sauce! The lock is still frozen!"

"I sure can't wait to go outside and warm my fur!" Rowlet and Popplio frantically began to blow on the door handle until it melted just as looked out the window. "Oh look, it's Rowlet and Popplio!" They then screamed as they tried to get the door open and Emolga walked over to them. "Hey, guys!" She then noticed that Rowlet and Popplio were wearing her fur on their bodies. then looked down at her completely bald body and screamed.

"It's okay, Emolga. Squirrel pattern baldness is quite common in small mammals!" Rowlet smiled nervously.

"Rowlet... Popplio..." Emolga growled.

"Don't worry, Emolga, we've got you covered." Popplio giggled nervously.

* * *

"More lemonade, boys?" Emolga asked as she offered Rowlet and Popplio a glass of lemonade, and they were both wrapped around her body.

"Thanks, Emolga."

"Spring sure is lovely."


	12. The Secret Box

Rowlet ran over to Popplio's rock excitedly. "Popplio! Popplio! Oh, Popplio! Are you ready to go Tentacool fishing?"

Popplio then came out of his rock doing an acrobatic trick. "Oh boy, am I!"

"Here's your rod." Popplio then glanced at a box. "Well, come on, Popplio! The Tentacool don't catch themselves."

"First, I have to put away my secret box."

"Secret box? You never told me about your...secret box!" Rowlet tried to peek in the box, but Popplio pulled it away.

"Hey, hands off, Peeping Owl! This here is my secret box! Besides, if I showed you what was inside, it wouldn't be a secret anymore. Duh!" Popplio opened the box and laughed at what was inside, and shut it as Rowlet tried to peek. "Oh, Rowlet...if only you could see what's inside my secret box, it would change your life!"

"It's okay, Popplio, I know all about secrets."

"You do?"

"I've got a gazillion secrets!"

"Like what?"

"Well, it's not a secret that the best thing about a secret is secretly telling someone your secret, thereby secretly adding another secret to their secret collection of secrets. Secretly." Popplio couldn't understand the entire sentence that Rowlet just said. "You wanna hear one of my secrets?"

"Do I?"

"Uhh...Let's see..." Rowlet ran up to Popplio. "Did you know that you're my best friend?"

"No...way. Oh, let's hear another one!"

"Okay. Uhh...Secretly...I'm a little bit naive."

"WOW! I'll never look at you the same way again, Rowlet. Gosh." Rowlet cleared his throat and tapped on Popplio's box. "Tell me some more secrets!"

"Okay. I love my job at the Crusty Crabrawler, I sleep with my shoes on, I like jelly on both sides of my toast, I've got an overdue library book, I think Tentacool fishing and bubble blowing are the..." Rowlet continued to tell secrets while Popplio layed his head on his box. "I've never been late for work, I've said the word fancy in conversation, I like to dance to loading zone announcements, I still don't have my driver's license. I'm a little bit on the short side. And I'm wearing three pairs of underwear right now."

"Gasp. I never would have guessed."

"Now will you show me what's inside your secret box?"

"No, Rowlet! It's for me to know and for you to never find out. You may be an open book, but I'm a bit more complicated than that. The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma." Popplio then imagined a carton of milk spilling.

"Oh, yeah?! Well, I got plenty of secret stuff, too! Uhh...I've got my secret socks on. And my secret Gary's bowl! My secret TV! And my secret TV channel. What do you think of that, Popplio? Popplio?"

Popplio giggled, and then laughed loudly after he looked at the box and then stopped to beath. "Maybe if you saw what was inside, you'd know why it has to be secret. Inside this very box is the most secret-y secret of all of secret-dom and I am it's sole witness! It's a heavy burden, Rowlet, but nobody must know the secret of the box." Rowlet tried to peek inside the box, but Popplio slammed it shut. "Nobody! Not even...Litten's house." Litten's house was looking down at them, and it quickly went back to normal, "It's a full-time job. I'm constantly on the alert. You never know when someone's gonna..." Popplio gasped when he found out his box was gone. Rowlet was running away with the box, but was then stopped when he ran into Popplio. "Rowlet! What do you think you're doing?! That's my secret box! Now, hand it over! "

"But, Popplio, I must know the secret!"

"For the last time, Rowlet, no!"

"Come on Popplio, just a peek?"

"Never!" Rowlet and Popplio began to fight over the box. Eventually, Popplio managed to get the box away and Rowlet gasped. "So, it's come to this. And to think that we joined the Best Friends Forever Club! Listen up, Rowlet SecretStealerPants! If you ever come close to my secret box again, we won't be friends anymore!"

"But...we're supposed to be...friends forever. I feel so filthy!" Rowlet started to cry. "I have soiled our friendship garden! I just couldn't help myself! I know it's your secret! I promise to respect that! Oh, please forgive me, Popplio! Please!"

"Well...I guess it's not all your fault. After all, this is a pretty great secret. I mean, how could you resist the greatest secret ever? The most amazing...mysterious...powerful secret in all of Alola."

"So, what do you say, buddy? Friends?"

"Friends." Popplio nodded as they shook hands.

* * *

Later that night, Rowlet lay in bed talking to himself. "What could be in that box that Popplio doesn't want me to see? Maybe it's the world's only albino Tentacool! Or maybe Popplio's a master jewel thief and it's full of diamonds. Or maybe Popplio's a deranged maniac who keeps his victim's severed heads in a box. Or even worse! Maybe it's an embarrassing snapshot of me from the Christmas party!" Rowlet screamed and then jumped onto the bedroom window. "I've gotta find out what's in that secret box! I'm not gonna rest until I do! That's it! How do you look in a secret box? Secretly, of course! I'll just take the box while Popplio's sleeping, look in that box, and before Popplio even has time to notice, I'll slide it back. Popplio won't know when I'll have my own little secret. Good idea, eh, Gary?"

"Meeh, no."

"Oh, what do you know? You're a Caterpie!" Rowlet then snuck to Popplio's house with gloves and a ski mask, and then crawled right under the rock. He then landed and noticed Popplio, who screamed gibberish as he hid behind a portrait. Rowlet then peeked and then the wall started to crack. Popplio mumbled, and the wall began to break even more and then the nail fell off. Rowlet managed to grab the nail with his foot and put it back on the wall.

"Seee...cret. "

 _'I got to be more quiet. I don't want to wake Popplio up.'_  Rowlet slid down the wall from the portrait and made a loud noise upon touching the floor. Popplio stretched and then went back to sleep. Rowlet then lifted his foot and made another noise. He then put his foot down, which made a loud noise.

"Duh...who's there?" Popplio mumbled, and then went back to sleep.

Rowlet then stepped on a potato chip and it made the sound of glass breaking.

"EH?! WHO'S THAT?!" Popplio then went back to sleep, and Rowlet wiped sweat off him and they landed with a loud splashing sound. Rowlet then began to take more steps, and every step he took made really loud noises. He then peeked above Popplio to see the box, and he was about to reach for it when he took it. Rowlet then slid onto Popplio, grabbing the box. "Good old secret box. Let's see what's inside." Popplio opened Rowlet's mouth and pulls out his tongue and laughed. "Nighty-night, boxie." Popplio then put Rowlet on the side of the bed. He got off the bed and then tripped on his own foot, causing him to bounce around Popplio's house, making a lot of loud noises until his head hit the wall, causing the portrait to fall off and hit him in the head. The box then landed on Rowlet and it made a loud noise. Through all this, Popplio was still sleeping.

"Gee, Popplio sure is a heavy sleeper."

Popplio then woke up. "Huh? Who said that?! Who's there?!"

"Uh..."

"It's the burglar! And he's stealing my secret box!" Popplio ran up to Rowlet and cocked his pillow like a shotgun. "Hand over the goods, Secret Box Bandit, and prepare for the most unpleasant pillow fight of your life!"

"Wait, wait, wait, Popplio! Stop! It's me, Rowlet!"

"Nice try, burglar, but Rowlet's my best friend, and he'd never steal from me."

"No, really, Popplio! Look!" Popplio gasped as Rowlet pushed a button on his ring.

"It's the Best Friends Forever, Best Friends Forever Ring!"

"Our friendship ring! IT IS YOU!" Popplio cried as he covered his face with his pillow. "How could you do thi-i-i-i-is?!"

"If it makes you feel any better, I haven't looked inside." Popplio threw the pillow away and snatched the box out of Rowlet's hands.

"That's it, Rowlet! You have crossed the line. As of right now, this friendship is OVER!"

Rowlet gasped and started to tear up. "Really?"

"Nahhh, you can look inside it if you really want to."

"Okay! Oh, this is one the most exciting moments of my life! Well, here it goes!" Rowlet lifted the lid off the box. Huh?"

"Well, didn't I tell ya? Isn't it great?"

"It's just a string."

"A secret string!"

"Boy, when you're right, you're right! That's some secret box you've got there! Yeah! Thanks for showing me that!" Rowlet put the lid back on the box. "Well, good night, Popplio. See you tomorrow!"

"Good night, Rowlet!"

"I should've known! It was just a piece of string all along!" Rowlet laughed as he left. "Wait 'till I tell Gary!"

Popplio then began to laugh menacingly. "Good thing he didn't pull the secret string, opening the secret compartment of my secret box revealing one embarrassing snapshot of Rowlet at the Christmas Party! Merry Christmas, Rowlet!"


	13. The Chaperone

It seemed like an ordinary day at the Crusty Crabrawler. Rowlet was busy making patties, when he suddenly heard someone crying. He put a pan over his head and headed over to Crabrawler's office.

"Don't cry, love. Daddy's going to make it all right. Calm down, girl!" Suddenly, a wave of tears burst the door down and all the customers were wiped out to the floor.

"Mr. Crabrawler, what's wrong with Steenee?" Rowlet asked.

"Her scurvy prom date stood her up, boy, and now she can't seem to find another."

"That's because there's only one Pokémon in the world that's small, tan and handsome as he is. And that's him!" Steenee cried.

"No, no baby, no more crying. We'll get you a date. Why, uhh...I'll take you!" Steenee started to cry. "Well, what about Litten?" She only cried even harder. "Wait, wait. Here, take Rowlet!"

"Ahh! The fry cook? Do you know what that would do to my complexion? People would mistake me for a planetarium."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. But I can't take him, daddy! They'll kick me off the most frequently pictured in the yearbook committee."

"Yeah, they would. We've got to find someone else. Listen up! Which one of you lucky lubbers wants to take me lovely daughter Steenee to the prom?" Crabrawler asked, and all of the customers ran away.

"Just don't be late, Rowlet." Steenee sighed as she walked off.

"Now listen boy, I'm-a counting on you to make this a very special night for a very special girl. Remember, you're doing it for good old Mr..."

Rowlet then walked up from behind Crabrawler. "Oh hi, Mr. Crabrawler! Are you talking to that dummy I made? It's pretty realistic isn't it? I made this part out of..."

"Never mind that, boy! You're taking Steenee to her prom!"

"Really? Oh, wow! Don't worry Mr. Crabrawler, I am a prom expert!"

* * *

"Oh Gary, I'm a prom failure. I couldn't even get a date for my own junior prom." Rowlet sighed as he was now in his house. "No, that was Popplio who brought his mom. Besides, how am I supposed to compare with Steenee's old boyfriend, Mr. Small, Tan and Handsome?" Gary then held something in his mouth. "What is it Gary? What do you have?" Rowlet then took the magazine from the Caterpie and looked at it. "Hey Gary, this magazine gives me an idea!" He began to make his tuxedo for the prom. Once, he was done, he really was small, tan and handsome. "Okay Gary, wait till Steenee gets an eyeful of this!"

* * *

Rowlet drove up to Crabrawler's house in a limo and he went over to the door and rung the doorbell.

"Hello?" Crabrawler opened the door to see Rowlet ready for the prom. "What do you think, Steenee? Cleans up pretty well, doesn't he?"

Steenee then came in wearing a pink dress. "Well, at last no one will recognize you. Now listen, Rowlet, I just want to get through this with my social status intact. I want to go to the prom, get my picture taken, and I want to dance..." Rowlet wrote down everything Steenee was saying, and eventually he made a long list. "...I want to drink punch with my friends and don't do that other thing you're always doing..."

"Uhh, Steenee, we've got to get back to the limo."

"A limo! Why didn't you say so?" Steenee grabbed Rowlet and dragged him out of the house. "I love limousines!"

"Go easy on him, lassie! I can't afford to break in a new fry cook!" Crabrawler laughed as he closed the door.

* * *

Rowlet and Steenee rode in the limo to the prom, which was inside a gymnasium at the Trainer School.

"Well, I guess the first thing we should do is..." Rowlet began when a flash went off at the area where the pictures were being taken.

"Yay! My first prom picture!"

"Uh-uh-uh...our first prom picture."

"Let's get this over with." Steenee went over to the photo booth, but Rowlet was having trouble getting there. "Come on, Rowlet!"

"Be right there."

"Will you hurry up?"

"Just a second." Rowlet tripped on his own foot and bounced everywhere, and he eventually made it to the photo booth and held onto the curtain. "Cheese!" The curtain then collapsed on them and the photo was taken. "That'll be a keeper."

"Hey look, it's Steenee! Hi Steenee!"

"Rowlet, here come my friends. Uhh, go get me some punch!"

"Prom expert, away!" Rowlet jumped away as a Lurantis and a Rimbombee walked up to Steenee.

"Hi, Steenee!"

"Hi girls."

"I'd like you to meet Billy Breloom!" The Lurantis introduced.

"And you know Brian Butterfree from math class." The Rimbombee said.

"Hi Brian."

"So, like, where's your date Pearl?" The Rimbombee asked. "We're all dying to meet him."

"He's over at the punch bowl getting me some punch."

"Ohh, is he the really small one?" The Lurantis asked.

"Oh yes! I mean...Oh no." Steenee looked over to the punch table, where Rowlet was trying to reach for the spoon, but he was unable to. He then tripped again and spilled the punch all over him. "Oh, quick, let's go see how ugly Cindy's dress is!" Steenee pushed her friends away and ran over to Rowlet, who was wringing out punch from his feathers to give to the guests. "Rowlet, what are you doing?"

"Hi Steenee! Come on, it won't bite!"

"You look ridiculous." Steenee gasped.

"What is it?" Rowlet asked as she pushed him under the table.

"Stay down, he'll see us! It's my ex-boyfriend, Octavius Rex, a.k.a. small, tan and handsome." The crowd moved aside to reveal that Steenee's ex-boyfriend was...a Pyukumuku.

"Whoa. But, I bet he isn't holder of the Regional Romance Dance Championship trophy!" Rowlet held up a trophy, but someone came and took it away.

"Give me that back."

"That just didn't happen. Let's go!" Rowlet took Steenee over to the dance floor. "Ready?" He then started to dance like crazy.

"Rowlet, what are you doing? Can't you see everybody here is doing The Whack?"

Rowlet looked to see that the other couples where jumping at each other with their chests. "The Whack? Oh, yeah, I invented that one."

"Are you sure you can do this?" Rowlet jumped at Steenee but they hit another couple and sent them flying through the food table, and one of them crashed into a painting.

"Aaah! A monster!" The painter screamed as he jumped into a trash can and everyone started to run around screaming.

"Well, I guess you can take me home now, now that you've ruined everything!" Steenee started to cry.

"Don't cry, the prom expert is here! I haven't failed yet!" Rowlet looked through the list he wrote down. "Hey, we can still...no, I broke that. We could...no. Don't cry! D-d-don't cry. Whatever you do, don't..." Rowlet cried as he ran off into the ladies room, causing several girls to run out screaming.

"Rowlet, are you okay?" Steenee asked as she went over to the bathroom.

"Messed everything up." Rowlet cried from the other side of the door.

"Don't worry Rowlet, ya didn't mess everything up."

"Hot dog."

"Actually, it was pretty funny when that hot dog landed in Judy's hair."

"All I wanted was to have a good time."

"But I am having a good time! Ya know, we haven't finished our dance yet."

"Can I still wear the wig?"

"Yes, you can still wear the wig."

Rowlet ran out of the bathroom and grabbed Steenee. "Let's go!" The two of them then headed back to the dance floor just as another song came on.

_Alright, all you feathered friends, I'm gonna teach you how to do The Bird_

_Well first you take your leg and you stick it in the air, and then you take the other one and jam it right up there_

_You twist yourself around and give a great big lunge, now you're doin' The Bird_

_Huh, do The Bird, Bird, oh do The Bird, Beat your buns you're doin' The Bird_

_Well, now, first you take your leg and you stick it in the air, and then you take the other one, and you jam it right up there_

_You twist yourself around and you give a great big lunge, now you're doin', yeah, now you're doin' The Bird._

Octavius went up to Steenee and tapped her shoulder. "Get lost, pizza topping! Can't you see I'm doing the Bird?" As the song continued, many people and Pokémon started to hurt themselves while trying to do the Bird. Rowlet and Steenee were able to perform the dance without any injuries and eventually a group of angry people picked them up.

"They love us!" They cheered as they were carred towards the door. "Yay, we're popular!" They were then thrown out of the gym.

* * *

"Gee whiz, Steenee. I'm sorry tonight didn't go out like you planned." Rowlet said as the two of them were walking back to Steenee's house.

"Oh, don't worry , I knew it would be a total disaster all along. But as long as disasters go, that was really fun."

"A-ha! Keep away from me precious little flower! You almost stepped on it." Crabrawler raked the flower that was in the ground.

"Oh, Daddy! Well goodnight, short, round and feathery. Rowlet?" Steenee shrugged as she walked back inside.

"Good job, laddie." Crabrawler winked at Rowlet and went back inside. Rowlet just stayed frozen in place and then the real one appeared from the side.

"Ah, there you are, dummy! You sure come in handy!"


	14. Valentine's Day

Rowlet opened the door to his house with a bunch of hearts in his arms. "Happy Valentine's Day, Alola!" He then handed hearts to every human and Pokémon, including Litten, Wigglytuff, and Salandit. He then headed over to Emolga's house.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Rowlet. I'm nuts for you." Emolga took out an acorn with an arrow stuck through it.

"Well, I'm bubbles for you, Emolga." Rowlet took out a bottle of chocolate syrup and blow a chocolate heart bubble at Emolga, who ate it.

"Mmmm, chocolate. Mighty tasty. Popplio's gonna love the one you made for him." The two of them headed over to a chocolate balloon and Emolga got into the basket. "Take me through the plan again."

"Okay. Step one: Popplio and I get to the Valentine's Day carnival. Step two: I position Popplio and myself on top of the Ferris wheel. Step three: You arrive at designated checkpoint for maximum visual contact. Step four: Popplio is thrilled. Mission accomplished."

* * *

Rowlet headed over to Popplio's house, where he was holding a heart shaped rock. "Hi Popplio."

Popplio looked at the rock in confusion. "Hello?"

"Popplio, it's me, Rowlet."

"Rowlet, what are you doing in there?"

"Popplio!"

"Oh my gosh! Rowlet is stuck inside this rock!" Popplio screamed. "Hold on buddy, I'll get you out!" He smashed the rock into a pile of dirt. "Rowlet? Rowlet?"

"Popplio..."

"Rowlet!" Popplio cried and rubbed the pile of dirt against his face.

"Popplio, I'm right behind you!"

"There you are." Popplio turned around and held the pile of dirt. "Happy Valentine's Day! Here's your present."

"And I have a present for you!"

"You do?"

"It's the greatest...the bestest...the most fantabulous...present ever!" Popplio started to bounce and roll around in excitement. "But you can't have it yet."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because it's not ready yet."

"Is it ready now?"

"Not yet."

"How about now?"

"Do you want to ruin the surprise?"

"Yes!"

"Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh!"

"Oh, come on, please!"

"Hmmm...nope, sorry."

Popplio grabbed onto Rowlet's feet. "You gotta tell me!"

"No can do! You'll just have to wait!" Rowlet started to walk off with Popplio still hanging onto his feet.

"Please. Oh please..." Popplio continued to hold on until they were in the middle of nowhere. "...please-please-please-please. Tell me-tell me-tell me. Please?!"

"Okay, Popplio, here we are."

Popplio gasped as he saw the carnival. "You got me a carnival? Mine! All mine, mine, mine, mine." He ran inside with Rowlet following. "Mine, mine, mine! Alright, everybody out! This is my carnival!"

"It's not the carnival."

"Oh."

"Here, why don't you take this quarter and..."

"Oh my gosh, a quarter! I've always wanted a quarter!"

"It's not the quarter."

"Oh."

"Now take that quarter and buy some cotton candy..."

"Cotton candy! I can't believe it!" Popplio began to chase the cotton candy seller. "Cotton candy!"

"Hey, get away! Hey!"

"Emolga to Rowlet." Rowlet took out a walkie-talkie where Emolga was talking to him. "Emolga to Rowlet. Come in Rowlet."

"Ten-four Emolga, Rowlet here."

"I got a visual on the carnival. You want me to bring her in?"

"Ohh, not yet, Emolga. Popplio's still trying to guess what his Valentine is."

Emolga chuckled. "You are such a kidder, Emolga out. That Rowlet..." She then saw a group of birds heading towards the balloon. "Pikipek...chocolate-eating Pikipek!"

"So if it's not cotton candy then what is it?" Popplio asked. "I can't take it!"

"You'll have to guess!"

"This tent?"

"No."

Popplio picked up a random person. "This guy?"

"No."

Popplio looked through a microscope. "These Zygarde cells?"

Rowlet laughed. "Nope."

Popplio giggled. "Heh, you're a sly one. I can't find here in the carnival...because it's on top of Mount Climb Up and Fall Off." He ran up the mountain and fell off before running back to Rowlet. "It wasn't there either!"

"Are you sure?" Popplio ran up the mountain and fell off again while Rowlet talked into his walkie-talkie. "Rowlet to Emolga, you can bring it in now."

"Uhh, Rowlet, we got ourselves a little problem. I got a pack of chocolate-eating Pikipek trying to rustle the balloon! Hi-yah! Get away, you sweet-toothed varmints! Hi-yah! I'm going to be a little late!"

"Late? But what about Popplio?"

"Take him up to the Ferris wheel and I'll meet you there! Emolga out!"

"If Popplio doesn't get his valentine..." Rowlet screamed as Popplio suddenly appeared from behind him completely bruised.

"I'm pretty sure it's not up there, Rowlet!"

"Popplio! Uhh, actually it's on the Ferris..."

"Ferris wheel!" Popplio grabbed Rowlet and headed to the Ferris wheel. "I'm ready for the greatest Valentine's present in the whole world now, Rowlet."

"Well this is where you're gonna get it...I hope. Just keep looking out there, pal." While Popplio was looking out, Rowlet talked into his walkie-talkie. "Rowlet to Emolga, Rowlet to Emolga, come in, Emolga!"

"Emolga to Rowlet, I got my ox in a ditch here! I'm way off course! The Pikipek are eating the balloon! They're everywhere!" One Pikipek pecked into the balloon and it started to float down. "Aw, shoot! We're going down, Rowlet! Switch to plan B!"

"No, no, B, Emolga! No, B!" Rowlet looked at Popplio who had a huge smile on his face. "Uh, Popplio, you know how sometimes you plan something special and things don't just work out?"

"No...no...eh-gee! Holy mackerel! Is it hot up here or what!" Popplio ripped off his shirt and began to move the seat back and forth and then up and down. The ferries wheel began jumping up and down and Rowlet quickly held out his wing.

"Popplio, here it is!"

Popplio stared at Rowlet's wing. "What's that?"

"It's a handshake...a friendly handshake."

"A handshake? That's the big gift? You got me a handshake?"

"A friendly handshake. Happy Valentine's Day!" Popplio shook Rowlet's wing and then stared at his flipper with a grumpy face. Rowlet laughed and during the rest of their time at the carnival, Popplio continued to have the same grumpy face.

* * *

"I've been thinking. At first a handshake doesn't seem like much, but really it's the thought that counts..." Popplio began when a Chansey walked up with a box of chocolates in her arms.

"Hey Rowlet, I just wanted to thank you for this box of chocolates."

"Uh, no problem Fran." Rowlet replied.

"And even though I was expecting more..."

An Electabuzz then walked up with roses. "Thanks for the roses, Rowlet. Happy Valentine's Day."

"You too."

"And not that it matters that we've been friends for so long..."

A woman then walked by with a bike. "Hey , thanks for the bike!" She then talked to Popplio. "Can you believe this nice Pokémon? I just met him this morning!"

Popplio started to fume. "So as I was saying..."

"Excuse me, do you guys have the time?" A Golduck asked.

Popplio finally snapped and yelled in rage as he picked up the Golduck and threw him. "Popplio needs love, too!" He started to go on a rampage and destroyed a balloon cart. He then went up to a man in a heart suit. "I defy you, Heartman!" Popplio ripped the suit in half and continued his rampage.

"Attention everyone, there's a small blue sea lion on the loose!" An announcer spoke, and everyone started to run around screaming.

Popplio then saw a ride with hearts on it and became even angrier. "Heart on stick must die!" He went over to the pole and tried to pick it up, but eventually gave up. Popplio then saw a little girl with a heart-shaped lollipop. "Heart on stick must die!" He grabbed it, broke it, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Rowlet gasped. "Popplio!"

Popplio turned around with an evil look on his face, and everyone ran to the dock in fear as he roared in rage.

"Give me Rowlet!" Rowlet was then thrown in front of the group and he laughed nervously. "You broke my heart! Now I'm gonna break something of yours!"

"Okay Popplio, I know I deserve this. But, do they?" Rowlet asked, refering to the terrified crowd behind him.

"They didn't get me anything either!" They all then threw a pile of gifts at him. "Nope, it's too late for that now...for all of you!" Popplio walked over the gifts and approached everyone with a furious look on his face.

"Yee-haw! Get along little birdies!" Emolga then landed into the carnival on the balloon with the Pikipek leading.

"Yeah! Emolga's here! Woo-hoo! Look Popplio, it's here! It's here! The best valentine in the whole wide world is right behind you!" Rowlet started jumping up and down and pointed behind Popplio.

"Sure it is."

"I'm telling you, it's right there, turn around!"

"Uh-uh."

"Popplio, just turn around!"

"Turn around! You nincompoop!" The crowd shouted.

"You must think I'm pretty dumb, huh?"

"Yes! Turn around!"

"No."

"Turn around! Turn around!"

"Nuh-uh. I'm gonna say this once and I'm not going to say it again, so pay attention. I am not, I repeat, not going to turn around for any reason...ever!"

"Howdy, Popplio!"

Popplio turned around. "Hi Emolga!" He then noticed the chocolate balloon and started stuttering gibberish.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Popplio!" Rowlet cheered.

Popplio jumped onto the balloon in pure joy. "Yay! My valentine! Hey, is this solid chocolate?

"Popplio, no!" Popplio bit into the balloon and chocolate exploded everywhere.

"Aw Rowlet, you didn't have to get me anything."


End file.
